Playing the Part
by Snavej
Summary: Oliver had agreed to cover for his idiot twin brother's stupid rehearsal after school in return for Gene taking two of his lessons. But only five minutes into said rehearsal, Oliver decided Gene had definitely gotten the better end of the deal. What on earth was he supposed to talk to his opposite's understudy, Mai Taniyama, about? [High School AU, super fluffy]
1. Chapter 1

"Noll, please?" Gene begged. "I covered your maths lesson!"

Noll continued to read his book in the busy school canteen.

"That was payback for me taking your French lesson last week," Noll replied.

"Please!" Gene got down on both knees and dramatically clasped his hands together.

"Gene, stop it; you're making a scene," Noll scolded, still not looking up from his book.

"Then agree to do my rehearsal after school today," Gene said. "I'll take two of your lessons!" he added in desperation.

Noll sighed deeply and held a hand out. Gene shoved the script towards his brother and jumped to his feet.

"What scenes?"

"Four and five are the only ones you're in," Gene told him. "I've annotated them so you can repeat what I've done previously."

Noll rolled his eyes and opened the dog-eared script to scan the contents.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Yeah, you'll be working with the understudy today," Gene said, a grin playing about his lips. "Mai Taniyama? I'm sure you know her don't you?"

Noll did know her. Mai Taniyama was a girl that was in the debating club. A club Noll was only part of because of two reasons: one, it kept his mother happy that he was part of a society, and two, because he could just turn up and destroy the opposition without much effort. That is, except for Mai Taniyama, who would always stand against him regardless of the topic and occasionally even made a good point. Not that she ever won.

"Why isn't the lead going to be there?"

"Masako is busy," Gene stated.

"Why don't you have an understudy?"

"You're my understudy."

"I never agreed to that," Noll scowled, finally looking up at his brother.

"I didn't expect to need an understudy," Gene shrugged. "I better get going; I have a lesson to get to!" He turned and began to walk away. "Oh and Noll? The play is a musical!" Gene shouted over his shoulder and then sprinted from the canteen.

Noll scowled, put his book in his bag and opened up the script to scenes four and five. Thankfully, he did not have many lines in the required scenes and no songs bar the group ensemble pieces.

Noll spent his free period after lunch going through his lines before heading to a psychology lesson. After his final lesson, Noll made his way to Gene's locker, where he picked up the tie Gene had been wearing that day. He swapped it for his own and headed towards the Drama Department where he found the rest of the cast assembling in the Drama Studio.

Sighing, Noll hitched Gene's smile on his face and entered the room.

"Gene!" Mai rushed over to him. "Did Masako tell you she couldn't come today?"

"Yeah, she mentioned it," Noll replied.

"So you'll have to practice with me today, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you'll do great I'm sure!" Yeah, that was something Gene would say. Before Noll could say any more, Miss Mori entered the Drama Studio.

"Oh wonderful, is everyone here?"

"Please Miss, Masako couldn't come," Mai put her had up as she spoke.

"That's fine," Miss Mori replied. "Actually, if she isn't here, we could go over the duet if we have time as you haven't practiced it yet…"

Noll hastily flipped through the rest of the scenes to find said duet and mentally groaned. Why did Gene have to have such a stupid hobby?

"Come on Gene," Mai said, indicating that they should sit at the back while the others performed.

"Huh?"

"Miss Mori said they were starting at the beginning, you're not on until scene four right?"

"Oh yeah, sorry, I wasn't listening." Noll mentally scolded himself for getting caught up in his own thoughts. He joined Mai at the back of the studio and sat with his back against the wall. Noticing some of the other students had taken their ties off and had loosened a few buttons, he copied the gesture.

"Did you have a good day today?" Mai asked him quietly.

"Yeah, was alright," Noll said with Gene's smile still plastered on his face. "You?"

"Yeah, it was good," Mai replied. "Chemistry was fun! Well, it shouldn't have been, but Keiko and I managed to blow up a few test tubes…"

Noll laughed as he knew Gene would. Why had he agreed to this? Practicing the damn play was one thing but what on earth was he supposed to talk Mai about?

"I heard my brother beat you in the debate again on Monday?" Noll posed; it was the only subject he felt confident talking about with this girl. Mai rolled her eyes.

"You realise he only wins because the girls vote for him right?" Mai said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "It's stupid. They only like him because he's got that dark and brooding thing going on. Oh and because he's handsome…" Mai added as an afterthought.

"You think I'm handsome?" Noll asked, then quickly covered up his mistake. "You know, we have the same face and all."

"Of course you are, but you're not pig-headed about it like he is. Naru uses his looks to get what he wants, you are actually nice to people."

"Naru?"

"Oh damn," Mai giggled nervously. "Please don't tell him, its short for narcissist. It's what Keiko, Michiru and I call him…" She looked away in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Noll said kindly in his best impersonation of Gene's friendly manner.

"I don't really think he's that narcissistic!" Mai gushed. "I just said it once and it kind of stuck you know?"

Mai looked back up at the performance area and watched the rehearsal for a few minutes.

"Does he really only win because of his looks?" Noll asked, genuinely curious. He had thought he had won due to his evident skills in debating.

"Huh? In debates?" Mai asked and Noll nodded. "Well, he does put up good points, but it's all decided in an anonymous vote at the end and it sort of becomes a popularity contest. Yasuhara – do you know him? He's in upper sixth? – said that I should have won a few times but didn't. I'll beat him one day though."

"You sound confident," Noll commented, refraining from scoffing. As if little Mai would ever beat him.

"Well, eventually, all those girls that vote for him will realise they deserve better than some boy that has no manners." Mai suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry; I'm being so rude about your brother!"

"It's alright, he's a bit of an idiot anyway," Noll forced a soft laugh.

"He's not an idiot! You should know better than anyone how hard he works!" Mai protested. "It's just all the girls have romanticised the idea of him in their heads. I feel kind of sorry for him really. If he ever became interested in one of them and they got together, the girl would be disappointed that he wasn't what they have pictured him to be."

Noll was slightly taken back by this deep insight.

"So what do you think Noll is really?"

"Promise you won't tell?" Mai asked earnestly.

"Promise," Noll smiled again.

"I think he hides behind his intelligence," Mai confessed. "Because he's lonely. I mean, he has you, but he doesn't really have anyone else does he? I think he had to grow up too quickly and thus has lost a bit of faith in humanity. But because of that, he's really kind. Not kind like you are, but…" Mai seemed to struggle for words. "Like my friend John, who's in Oliver's psychology class, said that when some of the football team were beating on him a bit the other day because well, John is tiny, Oliver just walked up and intervened. Not to start a fight or anything, but just pulled John out of the scene entirely to talk about the homework or something." Mai sighed. "I'm not sure if he meant it like that, but yeah…" she finished lamely.

Noll was entirely speechless. How had this girl, who was a year younger than him, seen through him so easily? He could remember the event in question; John Brown was a short boy who was nice to everyone. He knew some of the football team picked on him because he was short and catholic, not that he ever rubbed it in anyone's face. Noll had seen how to save him from the bullying and so had done it without a second thought. Not because he was particular friends with John, they had only worked together a few times, but perhaps because the bullies reminded him of some of the kids that picked on him and Gene at the orphanage.

"Well," he said, unsure of how to continue.

"Are you going to laugh at me and tell me it's all wrong?"

"It's not wrong," Noll said. "I'm just shocked."

"Why?"

"Most people don't see that," he replied truthfully.

"Eugene! You're on!" Miss Mori called. "Why aren't you paying attention?"

"Sorry!" Noll jumped up, ran over to the stage and immersed himself into the current scene. He wanted to talk more with Mai, he obviously underestimated the girl. But when he had finished his scenes, she was up and so he had no chance.

He watched her perform and thought back to the countless debates he had had with her. She had always become so riled up in debates that she often lost the thread of her point. She ardently chose the side of justice and passionately defended her beliefs. He had always viewed her ideas as naively hopeful, but hadn't everything she had just said proved that she seemed incapable of seeing the bad in people? She was her own brand of kindness that picked out the best in everyone.

"Alright, I think we'll call it a night for most of you!" Miss Mori said cheerfully a while later. "Mai and Eugene, if you could remain behind, I want to go over your scene."

Noll watched as the others left and he muttered goodbyes to those that waved at him.

"I think we'll just go over the song and the few lines after it," Miss Mori said as she fiddled with the CD player. "Why won't this damn thing work?"

Noll and Mai took to the stage and waited. Noll ran over the lines in his head and cursed Gene again for making him do this.

"I'm going to find Mr Takigawa for a replacement; can you two practice without music while I'm gone?"

"Sure," Mai said and they watched Miss Mori leave. "Thank goodness for that, I need the lyrics."

Noll laughed as Mai picked up her script.

"Do you just want to sing or do you want to act it too?" he asked.

"Um, mainly focus on the singing but with the rough movements of the scene?" Mai proposed and Noll nodded his agreement. "Well, you start," she said awkwardly.

Noll picked up his own copy of the song sheets and glanced down at it.

" _I can show you the world,_ " he sang and felt very self-conscious of his voice. He wasn't a bad singer, he could hold a tune, but he couldn't help but feel like Gene would have done a much better job. " _Shining, shimmering, splendid!_ " he continued.

Gene had scribbled notes on this part too, so he followed the instructions and gestured as appropriate while he continued to sing.

When Mai finally came in, he was astounded how clear her voice was.

" _A whole new world,_ " she sang, higher than he could ever hope to reach. " _A dazzling place I never knew!_ "

As the song went on, Noll became slightly more comfortable and projected himself better. He fancied he was no worse an actor than Gene so he could make up for his voice with the rest and hope Mai would not notice.

" _A thrilling chase!_ "

" _A wondrous place!"_

 _"_ _For you and me!_ " they concluded together. The two teenagers were now face to face and breathing heavily from the long note. Mai blushed and Noll coughed pointedly as he moved away. He glanced down at the script and noticed what Gene's notes said: kiss.

Noll didn't even question it as he knew Gene would have no qualms about kissing a girl. He turned back to Mai and pressed his lips to hers. He peeked a look and was satisfied to see her blush had deepened. Then they broke apart.

"You're not Gene, are you?" she asked. Noll staggered back a little.

"What? Of course I am," he laughed Gene's laugh nervously.

"You're not," Mai repeated. "Gene doesn't sing that low and Gene wouldn't have had to check the script to know he had to kiss the lead female at this part." Well of course Gene would remember that bit, Noll scowled.

"Damn," Noll muttered.

"Why are you here?"

"He asked me to cover for him," Noll admitted, letting his face fall back into his usual expression. "In return for him covering two of my lessons."

"You two do that?"

"All the time."

"That is not even fair," Mai complained.

"Are you going to tell Miss Mori?"

"Not if you keep rehearsing with me," Mai said. "Just the song!" she added hastily. Noll rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said as he stood up. "From the top?"

Mai scrambled to her feet and nodded.

And so they sang the song again without the music, repeating the movements they had used before. About halfway through, Noll threw the script to the side and pulled Mai's out of her hand. He knew she was clutching to it like it was a lifeline and she needed to stop.

The finished on the long note and this time, Noll didn't even hesitate in kissing Mai. It just seemed right and she did not protest. He figured if he was going to do this practicing thing, he was going to do it properly. That is, until a very familiar voice interrupted them.

"You know, I don't remember the kiss being that long, do you Masako?" It was Gene. Noll broke the kiss and looked around at two familiar figures standing in the doorway.

"No, I think it somewhat ruins the innocence of the scene, don't you?" Masako replied with an annoying smirk.

"We were just practicing!" Mai said earnestly.

"Of course you were," Gene said sceptically with a massive grin plastered all over his smug face. Noll scowled, picked up the script and headed for his bag. Once he had retrieved it, he threw the script at his twin.

"What are you doing here?" Noll demanded.

"Seeing how the rehearsal was going!" Gene replied innocently.

"I thought you were busy," Noll said in a dangerously low voice.

"We were," Masako interrupted. Mai had joined them. "We were spying on you both, it was adorable!"

"Besides, you seemed to be enjoying yourself!"

Noll refrained from punching his brother.

"You mean you set this up?" Mai asked, frowning.

"Why?" Noll asked, his tone was deadly.

"Oh come off it," Masako said. "Mai, you've fancied Oliver for ages." Mai went scarlet.

"And you won't shut up about 'that girl from the debating club'," Gene added to his brother, he was still grinning.

"Come on Mai," Noll said, taking Mai's hand and dragging her out of the studio. "Let's leave these prats to their damned rehearsal."

Gene and Masako watched them go.

"They are both idiots, huh?" he said to Masako, who nodded, smiling.

Meanwhile, Noll was still dragging Mai from the building. They passed Miss Mori, who had a new CD player, but did not stop to explain.

Only when they were in front of the school did Noll stop and turn to face Mai.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Mai asked, looking flustered.

"Do you fancy me?" Noll left his face characteristically blank. Mai nodded and looked away. "And how does that make you any different to any of the other girls who fawn after me?"

"I explained what I thought of you earlier," Mai huffed. "I never expected anything to come of it!" She made to turn away, but Noll stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Let me go."

Noll moved his hand at once and Mai pivoted on her heel. He watched her walk away. Had he really spoken that much about Mai? He couldn't recall mentioning her that much, but it had evidently been enough for Gene to have taken note.

And she had seen through his exterior, hadn't she?

Damn. Noll cursed his brother for knowing him better than he knew himself before swallowing his own pride.

"Mai?" he called out and she stopped.

"What?"

"Do you like tea?"

"Why?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"Well we need to get our own back on my prat of a twin and his scheming companion," Noll said plainly. "We may as well be well hydrated."

Mai smiled and laughed.

"Okay," she said, returning to his side. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well he forced me to sing, so it has to be something humiliating," Noll surmised, and then he decided to try something. "And if you want to practice the latter part of that scene again, I'm not opposed to it."

He watched Mai's face out of the corner of his eye and smirked in pleasure as she blushed again. The effect was quite adorable. Perhaps this hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

* * *

 **Author's note: Well this is the fluffiest 2923 words I have ever written and if this does not qualify for AmyNChan's challenge of 'write a fluffy oneshot' I don't know what does. So yeah.**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Noll led Mai into a teashop two streets away, took his usual corner seat and ordered a pot of tea for them to share.

"Are you hungry?"

"No," Mai said, shaking her head slightly.

"We have a problem," Noll stated.

"Huh?"

"Gene is incredibly hard to embarrass."

"Oh, yes, I suppose he is," Mai agreed. "He tends to just go along with it all, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does." Noll frowned. But his face cleared as the waitress brought over a pot of tea and two cups. He gestured to Mai to pour first and she complied before popping two sugar cubes and a dash of milk into her mug. Noll took his tea black.

"Can't you just do something pretending to be him?" Mai suggested. "Screw up in one of his classes or something?"

"He'd only return the favour," Noll replied.

"Well maybe you should just attend all your lessons!"

Noll snorted.

"That would be a waste of time," he said. "I know it all already." Mai rolled her eyes. "I know enough to know how to avoid blowing up test tubes in chemistry anyway," he added delicately.

"That's not fair! You can't use what I told you before against me!"

Noll only smirked.

Mai sat back in her chair and took a drink of her tea.

Before Noll could continue teasing his victim, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He drew out his phone and answered the call.

"Yes?"

" _Are you coming home for dinner tonight?_ " It was his mother. " _Your father is out for a work meal, but Gene is having a friend over and I've made spaghetti bolognaise so I can save you some if you aren't coming home."_

"I…" Noll stalled, staring at Mai for a moment. "Might I have a friend round too?"

 _"_ _Did I hear that correctly?_ "

"Yes mother," Noll said, rolling his eyes. "We're working on something for the debating club." His words caught Mai's notice and she frowned at him.

" _Well of course you can! Do you want me to come and pick you up?"_

"No, we'll get the bus," Noll replied. "We'll be home by six." And he hung up.

"What's going on?"

"Well we haven't got very far here, so you are coming for dinner."

"Do I have a say in this?"

"Do you not want to come for dinner?" Noll asked, smirking as he knew what her answer would be.

"Well no, but I might have had other plans!" Mai protested.

"But you didn't."

Mai pouted at him furiously and drank some more tea.

"I'll drive you home after," Noll said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you," Mai replied. "So, do you have any ideas?"

"A few," Noll said.

"Care to share?"

"Not really, most of them include me doing something daft to frame him."

"So? No one would know." Mai pointed out. "You could take nudes and send them round the entire school and no one would know it wasn't him!"

Noll raised an eyebrow and Mai and she realised exactly what she just said.

"So you want me to take nudes?" he asked, supressing a smirk.

"No!" Mai slapped a hand to her forehead. "That's not what I meant! I was just-"

"Do you wish to assist in taking these nudes?" Noll interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" Mai repeated, her face was now so read it was a wonder the rest of her body didn't collapse from lack of blood.

"Do you not want to see me naked?" Noll asked, knowing full well exactly how much he was embarrassing the girl in front of him. He was enjoying it immensely; it was oddly satisfying.

"No!" Mai squealed again, hiding behind her hands.

"Is there something wrong with my body?" he asked in mock hurt.

"What? No! Your body is perfect!" Mai stammered quickly, obviously worried. "I mean… Oh shut up!" she added, noticing Noll's sniggers. "You did that on purpose!"

Noll did not deny it, but finished his cup of tea. Mai scowled at him and his smug face.

"Are you done?" he asked.

"Yes," Mai replied. Her face was slowly returning to its usual shade.

Noll threw down some money on the tray and nodded his head towards the door. The pair left the teashop and Noll led the way to the bus stop.

"Do you like Oreos?" Noll asked once they arrived. He checked the timetable; they had to wait about five minutes for the next bus.

"Yes, why?" Mai asked, frowning.

"Just had an idea," Noll replied offhandedly. "You know, that's the reason you lose debates."

"Because I like Oreos?"

"No, because you get flustered, like you did in the teashop," Noll told the short brunette. "You occasionally make some good points, but you let your emotions get the better of you."

"Oh," Mai faltered. She picked at a loose thread on the sleeve of her school uniform's jumper. Noll noticed her shiver. They stood in silence for a minute. Then he noticed her shiver again.

"Don't you have a coat?"

"It's in my locker," Mai replied bashfully.

"Why didn't you pick it up before we left?"

"Well you kind of dragged me out without much choice."

"You should have said something," Noll scolded. "Idiot." He handed her his rucksack and pulled off his blazer. After wrapping it around her shoulders, he took his bag back and ignored her stammers.

"No, I'm fine really!"

"The bus won't have any heating on it and you are cold," Noll stated in a bored voice. "You're still fifteen right?"

"Yes, my birthday is not until July," Mai said. "Why?"

"Means you get a child ticket," Noll replied. "Seems appropriate."

"And what do you mean by that?" Mai pouted again. But Noll was saved the bother of answering by the arrival of the bus. He bought their tickets and they took a seat halfway down the bus.

"Say, Oliver?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you kiss me before?" Mai asked innocently.

"Because the script said to," Noll replied, looking out of the window.

"No, the second time?"

Noll did not say anything for almost a minute and Mai was about to give up when he spoke.

"I preferred that to having to sing again," he said in a pale imitation of his usual nonchalant air.

"Oh," Mai replied with little emotion in her voice. "You aren't a bad singer you know." Noll looked around and raised a pointed eyebrow at her. "You aren't!"

"Gene is better."

"Gene has had voice coaching with Mr Takigawa for the play," Mai revealed. "If you'd had such training, I'm sure you'd be easily as good."

"If you are trying to persuade me to join the Drama Club, it is not going to work," Noll said coldly. "If you are that desperate to kiss me again, you can just ask."

"Its statements like that that led to your nickname," Mai muttered darkly.

Noll rolled his eyes and stared out of the window again. His mind was running through exactly what his mother was going to think about him bringing a girl home. It began to rain. It was as if the clouds sensed his impending doom; the closer they got to his house, the heavier the rain became.

"Do you have an umbrella?" Mai asked.

"No," Noll replied. "But I don't live far from the bus stop."

"Oh good."

But it turned out Noll's idea of 'not far from the bus stop' turned out to be a five minute run through the pounding rain along a muddy gravel driveway that led to his house. When they arrived and Noll had let them both in, they were both soaked.

"Take your shoes off," he instructed as they stood inside the door. Mai complied and left her soaking shoes and bag by the radiator.

"Noll?" a woman's voice shouted. "Is that you?"

From a door at the end of the hall, a middle aged woman appeared wearing an apron and clutching a wooden spoon.

"Good evening, mother," Noll said in a bored voice. Mai stared up at him incredulously.

"You're so rude," Mai muttered under her breath. Noll ignored her.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Noll's mother said pointedly to her son.

"Mother, this is Mai, the least tedious and least idiotic person in the debating club."

"Wow, he must like you. That's possibly the nicest thing I've heard him say all year!" Noll's mother said with a laugh. "Nice to meet you Mai, please, call me Luella."

"Nice to meet you too," Mai replied.

"Come on," Noll muttered. He led Mai past his mother into the kitchen, grabbed something Mai couldn't see from a top shelf of a cupboard and then led Mai back past his mother – who had watched this with a slight frown – and up some stairs.

Mai followed him silently into what she presumed to be his bedroom.

"Take off your wet clothes," Noll said. "And put them on the radiator to dry."

He grabbed a pair of black sweatpants and disappeared out of the room. Mai took of his wet blazer and hung it over the back of a chair and propped it by the radiator. She then pulled off her own jumper, the front of which was soaked, and did likewise.

The front of her blouse and skirt were a little damp, but not too bad, and her tights had dried already. Noll returned a minute later dressed in nothing but the black sweatpants.

Mai took one look at his naked torso and went bright red again. She covered her eyes and squawked.

"Here, put this on," Noll said. Mai uncovered her eyes to see him throw a navy hoodie her way. She pulled it over her head and when she emerged from the fabric, she saw Noll's toned stomach disappearing under a clean t-shirt.

"Thanks," Mai said grudgingly; the hoodie was very warm and it smelt nice. Not that Mai had sniffed it or anything. She might've. A little bit.

Noll threw something else at Mai. She caught a pack of Oreos in fumbling hands.

"Eat one," he ordered and then pulled out a tube of toothpaste. Mai opened the pack and ate a single Oreo. He sat at his desk and held his hand out for the pack. Mai hastily passed the pack back and watched as Noll pulled three more Oreos out of the pack. He lay two aside, but twisted open the remaining one. "Come here," he said. Mai joined him and Noll forced her into sitting on one of his knees.

"What are you doing?" Mai asked, but he ignored her and instead started wiping the filling of the Oreo out with his finger. Noll held his Oreo filling covered finger in front of Mai's face. "What?"

"Eat."

Mai looked at him incredulously before licking the filling off. She then watched as he used the toothpaste to replace the filling. Once he had reconstructed the Oreo, he placed it back in the packet and then put the two ordinary Oreos back in too.

"Why?" Mai asked.

"Gene likes Oreos," Noll said by way of an explanation.

He placed the packet on his desk so that it would be clearly visible if anyone entered.

"I see."

"You can get off of my knee now."

Mai jumped up and away from Noll.

"Sorry," she whimpered.

"You can sit on the bed," Noll said, ignoring her apology. "We need ideas."

He touched his hand to his mouth and was obviously thinking.

"Why don't you just Google it?" Mai asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?" Noll blinked.

"Don't tell me the great Oliver Davis has never used Google!" Mai laughed.

Noll did not say anything, but opened up his laptop and pulled up Google.

"What do you suggest as a search criterion?"

"I don't know? 'Pranks'?" Mai shrugged. "Or 'how to embarrass your twin brother'?"

As if to humour Mai's idea, Noll typed **how to embarrass your twin brother** and hit enter.

"How to annoy your siblings," he muttered. "Annoy your siblings when they're sleeping; no good, he'll only reciprocate and he's worse to deal with when tired. Venture into your sibling's room a lot; I can do that anyway, he doesn't care. Cheat at games and deny cheating; I don't need to cheat to beat him. Act like a mime for a while around them alone; that's idiotic. Play with an imaginary object; that's even more idiotic. Learn a foreign language that they don't know; he'd only learn it. Follow your sibling around and stare at them wherever they go; I have better things to do. This list goes on and it's just getting more and more ridiculous."

Noll closed the browser and turned back to Mai.

"It was worth a try…" Mai muttered quietly. "Sorry."

Before Noll could say anything, his bedroom door burst open.

"You stole my Oreos," Gene said forcefully. Mai looked up to see Masako standing just behind him. "Why did you do that? You don't even like Oreos?" he demanded of Noll, seemingly he had not noticed Mai.

"Mai likes Oreos," Noll replied simply. He picked up the packet and offered one to Mai. "Don't you Mai?"

"I do," Mai replied, taking one.

"Would you like one Masako?" Noll offered one to her too. Masako took one with a nod of thanks.

Gene snatched the packet from his brother, took an Oreo and shoved it whole into his mouth. As he bit down, Noll smirked widely. Gene's facial expression changed from satisfaction to disgust.

He spat the toothpaste Oreo out into his hand and scowled at his brother, who was looking particularly smug.

"This means war," Gene breathed in a venomous voice. He took Masako's hand and pulled her away. Noll stood up and shut the door behind his twin.

"Aren't you worried?" Mai asked.

"About Gene?" Noll raised an eyebrow. "Hardly," he scoffed.

"But…"

"He started it," Noll said, smirking. "But we're going to win."

* * *

 **Author's note: So it was going to be a one shot and then a few of you were like 'YOU HAVE TO WRITE THEIR REVENGE' and so I started writing and this might turn into a full on prank war...**

 **Oops...**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner was an interesting affair that evening in the Davis household.

Gene glared at Noll for the entire meal and Noll completely ignored his twin.

"So Masako, how is the play coming along?" Luella asked from the head of the table, she was acting oblivious to her two sons.

"Quite well, we'll definitely be ready in time for the first performance," Masako said. "And hopefully we'll be using costumes as of next week."

"And your part of the play too, Mai?"

"Yes, I'm Masako's understudy," Mai replied quietly.

"My, my! So both of you poor girls have to put up with my son."

Gene temporarily stopped glaring at his brother, only to glare at his mother.

"Don't look at me like that, boy."

Gene returned his gaze to his brother.

"Mai, have you phoned home to let your parents know when you'll be home?" Luella asked. "You can use the house phone if you need to?"

"No need," Mai insisted with an awkward smile.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have any parents."

Masako, who already knew this, did not react. But Gene and Luella looked shocked. Noll did not look around, but stared down at his plate and did not take another bite.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I…" Luella began.

"It's fine!" Mai said quickly. "You didn't know; it's okay!"

"But who looks after you?"

"I do! I mean, technically, my dad's old office is my legal guardian and his insurance policy from them is what pays for my living costs. But I live alone."

There was a prolonged and uncomfortable silence.

"Noll, you never told me about this debating project?" Luella prompted a few minutes later.

"Miss Matsuzuki is trying to get us into a competition; she paired us all up to practice our skills," Noll lied with ease.

"And how did you end up with someone as nice as Mai here?"

"I'm the only one that can put up with his arrogant behaviour," Mai butted in.

"And he fancies her," Gene said under his breath.

"What was that Gene?" Luella asked.

"Nothing!" Gene said loudly and innocently, satisfied with the death stare his brother was giving him.

"Sure?" Luella prompted, obviously genuinely concerned.

"Yeah," Gene said and continued eating.

"Well if none of you mind, I'm going to go catch up on some marking." Luella got up from the table at their reassurances that they didn't mind. "Please scrape your plates and put them in the dishwasher once you are done."

Once Luella was out of the room, Gene turned back to his brother.

"I can't believe you put toothpaste into an Oreo! How could you ruin the sacred creation that is the Oreo?!"

"Well I twisted off one biscuit, scraped out the filling and replaced it," Noll drawled.

"What did you do with the filling?" Masako asked.

"Mai ate it."

"But without the biscuit?!" Gene sounded extremely distraught.

"The filling is the best bit!" Mai chimed in.

"How could you?!" Gene exclaimed. "I thought you were a good person Mai." He shook his head in disgust. "I'm sorry Noll, you can't date this girl."

"I'm not dating Mai."

Masako and Gene rolled their eyes in unison.

"Are you finished, Mai?" Noll asked.

"Yeah," Mai replied.

"Then let's leave these idiots," Noll said, standing up. He took both his and Mai's plates and placed them in the dishwasher before leading Mai away.

"Going to practice that scene again are you?" Gene called after them.

"Jealous?" Noll called back. "Or are you worried I'm a better kisser?"

"Do you want me to kiss Mai and let her decide?" Gene suggested with a grin.

Noll slammed the door behind them.

"How are we getting them back for the Oreo prank?" Masako asked quickly.

"Well I do have an idea…" Gene smirked. "Eat up."

In Noll's room, Mai was perched on the edge of his bed and Noll was staring out of the window.

"I didn't know you were an orphan," he said finally.

"It's not something I shout about, but it's not a big deal."

Noll turned around and stared at Mai, his face was restless, as if he was about to say something and yet was unable to find the words.

"Come on, I thought we were planning revenge!" Mai smiled up at him.

Noll nodded and then joined Mai on the bed. He shuffled back until his back was against the wall. He then grabbed Mai's arm and pulled her back so she was sat beside him.

"Can you sew?"

"Yeah, can't you?"

"Of course, but it'll be quicker with two people," Noll muttered. "How do you feel about decorating?"

"Um, I'm not a pro but I can paint a wall as well as the next person?"

"I think Gene's room needs repainting," Noll said quietly. "He's going to be busy all weekend with rehearsals."

"But I should be at those rehearsals too," Mai pointed out.

"Tell them you're sick."

"You want me to play hooky to annoy your brother?"

"You need a twin to cover for you," Noll said with a smirk.

"Well when they perfect human cloning, I'll get onto that."

Noll chuckled lightly and Mai felt herself blushing again, she looked away to hide her reddening cheeks.

"What colour?" Mai asked, turning back.

"How about pink to match your cheeks right now?"

"You could have just not pointed that out," Mai grumbled.

"And where would the fun be in that?"

Mai pouted and looked away again.

"I was thinking glow in the dark paint would be best, it wouldn't show up at first," Noll said.

"Not until it was dark… That would be quite irritating…" Mai giggled. "We could write rude words with it…"

"Oh so mature."

But a ping from Noll's laptop interrupted their conversation. He frowned, shuffled off the bed and opened the web browser.

"Really…"

"What is it?"

"You remember your daft idea earlier?" Noll waved her over. "Seems Gene decided to try it."

"Which daft idea?"

But as Mai joined him by the desk and her mouth fell open.

"You have Facebook?"

"Of course," Noll replied wearily.

Mai studied the topless photo on the screen.

"How did he get on your account?"

"He worked out my password," Noll said through gritted teeth.

"That annoys you more than what he did, doesn't it?" Mai observed. "But that is definitely your smirk."

"We have the same face; of course it is the same smirk."

"Gene doesn't smirk usually though, you do."

"And those aren't my boxers," Noll said, indicating the red rim of boxers visible above the waist line of the sweatpants.

"I really don't want to hear about your underwear."

"My body has better definition than that."

Mai rolled her eyes. She watched as Noll began changing his password and forcing all other log in sessions to end. By the time he had finished doing this, the photo had received a lot of attention.

"Blimey, just wait until it reaches your fan club," Mai muttered. "What are you going to do?"

But another ping drew their attention to a new notification.

 **Gene Davis: Didn't realise you were so desperate for attention, dear brother!**

Within a minute, it had twenty likes, mostly from other boys.

"Anything you say now will just sound like a cover up," Mai pointed out.

"I don't plan on saying anything."

"Are you okay?"

"You'll have to dispute it," he said finally. "No one would believe me, but if you said it…"

"I'm not going to go around shouting about how you look without any clothes on!"

"It's only topless," Noll said with a sigh. "It's really not that big a deal."

"It is to someone that hasn't seen a guy topless before!" Mai squawked.

"You saw me earlier," Noll reminded her.

"Not by choice!"

"Are you saying you didn't like it?"

"I… That's not what…"

Noll could practically see steam coming out of her ears.

"Calm down," he said in a low voice.

"You're mean."

Noll did not dispute this.

"The alternative is we take a picture to correct that one."

"I am not taking naked pictures of you."

"Topless really isn't naked."

"It's half naked!"

"Well you can take your clothes off too if it would make you more comfortable." Noll said this in an almost bored voice. If it had been anyone else, Yasuhara perhaps, Mai would have hit him.

"No one is taking any clothes off," Mai said finally.

Noll only shrugged.

"It's getting late; do you want me to take you home?"

"If you want me to leave, then please."

"I don't mind either way," Noll replied. "How far away to you live?"

"I live a twenty minute walk from the school."

"Come on then," Noll stood up. Mai grabbed her school jumper which was still quite damp and followed him from the room. "I'm taking Mai home!" he called to his mother.

"Okay dear, drive safe."

Mai slipped on her sodden shoes and picked up her bag. Noll pulled on dry trainers and grabbed some car keys. He led her out to a small city car and they both climbed in.

"Input your postcode," Noll instructed as he started the car and indicated the SatNav. Mai complied and they were soon trundling down the country roads back towards the school in the dark. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"Huh?"

"It was meant as a joke," Noll said quietly.

"The topless thing?" Mai asked.

"Yes."

"I know, I just... Keiko and Michiru always tease me for being so unexperienced with boys and stuff but I just get all flustered and…"

"I noticed," he commented.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Still…" Then Mai realised something. "You just missed the turning."

"I know."

"But…"

"We're taking a small detour."

They fell silent until Noll pulled up on the side of the road on top of a hill. He climbed out of the car and implied Mai should do the same.

"Woah…"

The hill overlooked the town and in the darkness, it looked like a spider web of lights.

"It's so beautiful," Mai whispered.

"And it's quiet."

Noll moved around the car to stand by Mai.

" _A wondrous place…_ " he sang quietly and Mai turned to face him with wide eyes.

" _For you and me…_ " she finished, equally as quietly. Noll leant down slightly and kissed Mai gently on the lips.

"I would appreciate your continued assistance in getting my brother back," he said.

"Was the kiss a bribe?"

"No."

"Then I wouldn't mind continuing to be your partner in crime," Mai replied bashfully.

"Partner in crime…" Noll smirked. "Well then, partner, might I have your phone number?"

He handed her his mobile and she inputted her contact details.

"Come on," he nodded towards the car as he took his phone back. The rest of the journey passed in a comfortable silence. When they arrived, Noll walked Mai up to her door and ensured she was inside and safe before returning home.

It was only when he had left that Mai realised she was still wearing his hoodie.

As Mai readied herself for bed, she kept checking her mobile, just in case. It wasn't until she had been home for almost half an hour that it finally buzzed.

 **This is Noll, so you have my number too.**

Mai quickly saved the number to her contacts and began her reply.

 **I still have your hoodie; I can give it back to you tomorrow if you want? From Mai**

He replied almost immediately.

 **Keep it. Check your FB, see you tomorrow.**

Mai frowned, but opened up her laptop nevertheless. He had sent her a friend request. She accepted it and opened up his profile. It was quite bare, with only a few pictures and the odd detail filled in. The majority of his newsfeed seemed to be Gene leaving him odd messages, some of which he had liked.

With an overwhelming feeling of content-ness, Mai went to bed.

However, when she woke, her happy feeling was quickly diminished.

Not only had that jerk tagged her in something, she had received several messages from her friends questioning it.

Under a selfie that did admittedly look better than the one Gene had put up – perhaps it was just the lighting? – Noll had written: **This is a much better photo of me, right _Mai_?**

"That little…"

School was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

 **Author's note: Look at me! Updating all my stories in the space of a like... 12 hours?**

 **So here is some more fluff... If any of you have ideas for pranks, please let me know!**

 **Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Mai dressed quickly and glanced at her phone, in addition to the messages she had received online, she had also been sent several texts.

"I am going to be lynched."

Once ready to leave, Mai remembered that she had left her coat in her school locker. Cursing under her breath, she pulled on Noll's hoodie over her now dry school jumper and hurried out of the door.

It was only when she was halfway to school that she realised that wearing his hoodie probably wasn't going to help anything. But there was nothing she could do now.

 **Are you trying to have me killed? From Mai.**

She sent the message to Noll and hurried on her way. She did not receive a reply until she was at school.

 **No.**

"What kind of useless reply is that?" Mai asked herself under her breath as she shoved Noll's hoodie into her locker and grabbed her Physics and Maths textbooks. "I am so glad it is Friday…"

"Mai!" Keiko and Michiru were running at her full pelt. Mai winced upon impact and once they climbed off of her, she hastily closed her locker.

"So why exactly do you know what Oliver Davis – Oliver Davis! Of all people! – looks like topless?" Keiko demanded.

"I don't!" Mai insisted.

"We saw his Facebook post!"

"Everyone has seen that post!"

"But why were there two pictures?" Michiru asked with a frown.

"The first one was Gene pretending to be Oliver in an attempt to annoy him," Mai told them. "But Oliver was more irritated that Gene had figured out his password and at Gene's poor imitation."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Keiko questioned with a smug smile.

"I…" Mai stammered, realising her mistake too late.

"Mai! Tell us!" Michiru begged, tugging on Mai's arm. "Are you two going out?"

"No!"

"So why do you know these things?"

"I ended up at the Davis's house last night for tea after the rehearsal because of Gene," Mai said. Well it wasn't a lie…

"I see…"

Mai's two friends were grinning knowingly and Mai did not like it one bit.

"So is he taking you to prom?"

"No! Why would he do that?"

"But the tickets come out on Monday!" Michiru said. "And we've both got dates!"

"You have?" Mai asked incredulously.

"Of course!" Keiko said. "Shinji asked me and Shuuya asked Michiru." Mai recognised the names as two members of the basketball team.

"And when did this happen?" Mai was happy to turn the conversation away from her and Oliver Davis.

"Yesterday," Michiru replied, blushing furiously. "We might have watched a bit of their practice and then they came up to us at the end and it was so adorable!" The girl was practically swooning.

"They both went from confident on the court to bumbling messes!" Keiko continued.

"Aww! I'm so happy for you both!"

"Come on, we better head to registration!"

The three girls rushed down the corridor. Mai couldn't help but feel that there were a lot of eyes on her, but she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not.

She managed to avoid any real confrontation until lunchtime. Though she heard several people whispering as she passed in the corridors. And phrases such as 'whore' and 'like either of them would sleep with her' reached her ears.

Michiru and Keiko had finished eating and had just popped over to another table in the canteen to talk with their dates for the prom.

Mai had honestly forgotten all about prom. With all the rehearsals for the play and revising for her GCSE exams that it had just slipped her mind. She hadn't bought a dress or found a date or anything… Perhaps Yasuhara would go with her…

"I heard a rumour that you've been telling everyone that Noll's first photo was actually taken of me," Gene said, sideling into the seat opposite her.

"Well it's true!" Mai objected. "And it's not him you're causing any trouble for! I'm the one suffering."

"How are you suffering?"

"Really?" Mai deadpanned. "Can you not feel the glares?"

"They are just jealous," Gene commented.

"Yes! That is exactly the problem!" Mai protested. "This is entirely your fault!"

"He put toothpaste in my Oreo!"

"And as heinous a crime as that is, torture him! Not me!"

"He said you two were in it together," Gene said. "Partners in crime or something. So that makes you a target too."

"You aren't even sorry, are you?"

"Nope," Gene said, beaming. "Masako and I had a plan to get the two of you together and we don't plan on giving up until you are." Mai glared at him. "Besides, this is the most fun I've had in a long time! And the happiest I've seen Noll in a while too."

Before Mai could say anything else, Gene had disappeared and been replaced by two girls.

"Hello Mai," the taller girl, Abi, said.

"And how are you?" the other, Charlotte, said.

"I'm alright," Mai replied wearily.

Then the two girls did something in completely unison. They both drew out their phones and showed them to Mai. Abi's had Gene's photograph from the previous night and Charlotte's had Noll's.

"Who is who?" they said in unison.

"Gene, Oliver," Mai said as she pointed. Then she sighed.

"I told you!" Abi turned on Charlotte.

"But how do you know?" Charlotte ignored her friend.

"Does it matter?" Mai pleaded.

"Yes!" Abi insisted.

"You can just tell!" Mai spluttered and pointed to the photo of Gene. "There is mirth in his eyes," she said and moved her finger to point at Noll's picture. "Whereas there is only arrogance in his eyes." The two girls studied the photos.

Mai used their momentary distraction to escape from the table. Keiko and Michiru were still chatting animatedly with Shuuya and Shinji and as Mai had no desire to be a fifth wheel, she headed out of the canteen.

"Are you busy tonight?" a low voice said from behind her.

Mai spun around to see Noll standing there, a slight smirk playing about his lips.

"You! I have had people glaring at me all day because of you!"

"I know!"

"And I bet you aren't sorry either!"

"Why would I be? You took the attention off of me," Noll remarked. "That was my intention."

"You're a jerk," Mai muttered.

"And you never answered my question."

"I have homework and revision to do," Mai said.

"You can do that at my house," Noll stated.

"Why?" Mai asked. "I am not at all inclined to do anything for you right now! And I even had a brilliant idea to annoy your brother."

"What is it?"

"I have to go to Physics now," Mai said and turned away from him. She began walking away and did her best to ignore Noll's looming presence.

"I'll help you with your homework," he offered.

"Who says I need help?"

"I do," Noll replied. "And in return for my help, I want to hear this idea of yours."

"I'll think about it," Mai mumbled and stalked off.

But Noll really didn't give her much of a choice, as she came out of her final lesson of the day; he seemed to appear out of nowhere, took her hand and practically dragged her to his bus stop.

"Oi! Stop it!" Mai hissed. "What if someone sees?!"

"So what?"

"So! You don't have to deal with the glares!"

"Just ignore them," Noll said simply.

But Mai had shaken her hand out of his and run in the opposite direction.

Noll watched her go as his brother joined him.

"What did you say to upset her?" Gene asked.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"It was the photos," Noll admitted.

"She did mention she'd been receiving some unsavoury attention," Gene muttered. "Though you did nothing to help it."

"You started it."

Gene sighed.

"I'll fix this," he said finally.

* * *

Mai practically ran the entire way home. When she arrived, she slammed the door behind her and began ranting to no one in particular.

"I never asked for this," she started. "I didn't. The pair of them are complete idiots."

She slumped onto her sofa and dragged her laptop closer.

"Masako bloody better not be ill for this damn play," she continued. "There's no way I could kiss Gene now…"

She pulled up Facebook and found Noll's picture at the top of her newsfeed. She was about to close the browser, when she noticed someone had commented on it.

 **Masako Hara: Seriously guys? Me and** ** _Mai_** **walked in on** ** _Gene_** **changing after a rehearsal. Why else would she know? Leave her alone. Gene was playing a prank on his brother and you all took it far too seriously…**

And Gene had liked it.

Smiling, Mai liked Masako's comment, sank further back into the sofa and closed her eyes in relief.

Ping.

She looked back at the screen. Masako had sent her a message.

 **Masako says: The war resumes tomorrow.**

 **Mai says: Thank you :)**

 **Masako says: No problem!**

Mai sighed and pulled her phone out of her pocket, but someone had already texted her.

 **Are you going to tell me this idea yet?**

 **I thought the deal was the idea in return for help with homework? From Mai.**

 **So you admit you need help?**

 **Well I want something in return for it! From Mai.**

 **Pizza?**

 **Deal. From Mai.**

Well that was a no brainer, Mai thought. She wasn't going to turn down free pizza.

Noll arrived with two hot pizzas half an hour later.

"This idea better be good," he said as he walked through the door. "I got you a margherita."

"Beggars' can't be choosers."

Mai sat back on the sofa and began to eat.

"What's wrong with margherita?"

"Nothing, but it's not spinach and ricotta."

"Well when you find a Dominos that does spinach and ricotta, I'll buy you one," Noll said.

"Promise?" she asked.

"It's a date."

Mai went red again and quickly ate another slice of pizza.

"So what is this idea?"

"Well, you said you wanted to use glow in the dark paint in his room right?"

"Yes, but that is my idea."

"Let me finish!" Mai poked him in the side. "I thought about it and realised that is we painted just anything, he could just cover it up and it would only be one instance, right?" Noll nodded. "What if we used the pain to write out a riddle he couldn't immediately solve? Even if he painted over it, not knowing the answer would annoy him until he solved it!"

"You know," Noll said slowly. "That isn't a completely awful idea."

"Cheers," Mai murmured.

"Do you have such a riddle?"

"Well no," Mai admitted. "But we're partners right? It's your turn for a bright idea!"

"Are you coming round tomorrow?"

"I have rehearsals," Mai said awkwardly.

"Don't go."

"I have to."

"Why?"

"Because it's my responsibility to be at the rehearsals!"

"They won't mind if you miss one."

"Why are you so insistent on me not going?" Mai enquired.

"No reason."

"Well if I go, I might get to kiss Gene," Mai mused jestingly, watching Noll carefully for a sign of a reaction. His face twitched slightly.

"Fine," he said bitterly and stood up.

"Oliver, where are you going?"

"Home," he spat.

"I was just joking!" Mai said quickly. "I don't…"

But he had already slammed the door behind him.

"I'm an idiot," Mai told herself.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Noll sat in his bedroom vaguely reading a book. The house was empty. His mother and father had taken Gene to the rehearsal on their way to the shopping centre.

But the peace had been disturbed. Someone had rung the doorbell.

Noll let out a long breath, then jumped up from his chair and made his way down to the front door. He peered through the peek hole and saw none other than Mai.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded as he opened the door.

Mai pulled some things out of her rucksack and showed him; two paintbrushes and a small tin of glow in the dark paint.

"My name has three letters," she began. "If you cut off one, I become stronger. If you cut off two, I become ten. What am I?"

Noll frowned at her for a moment and then smiled.

"That'll do nicely."

* * *

 **Author's note: So it was a bit angsty but I was watching Bambi as I wrote it and *SPOILER ALERT* Bambi's mum died!**

 **A prize of your choice if you can solve the riddle without cheating and Googling it!**

 **Please review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Would you like a drink?" Noll asked as Mai took her shoes off.

"Please."

"Tea?"

"Milk, two sugars."

Noll let his face fall into an expression of deepest disgust before heading to the kitchen.

"Where are your parents?" Mai asked as he filled the kettle.

"Shopping."

Once they both had steaming mugs clutched in their hands, Noll led the way up to his bedroom with Mai hot on his heels.

"Did you work the riddle out?" Mai asked.

"Of course," Noll said.

"Do you think Gene would be able to get it?"

"Not immediately," Noll stated. "It'll bug him for a while."

A loud vibration drew their attention to Noll's mobile that was sat on his desk. He picked it up, unlocked it and read the text message aloud.

"Mai has called in sick to the rehearsal; perhaps you should go check on her. Winking face," Naru said. He paused and then said "Why are you here?" He turned away from Mai before she could answer and stared out of the window, the cup of tea still in his hands.

"I figured there was somewhere else I would rather be," Mai admitted.

"You have a responsibility to be at your rehearsals."

"They'll manage without me easily," Mai said. "I wanted to… I'll leave if you want."

"No," Noll said quickly. "Stay."

"I don't want to be in your way!"

"Stay."

Mai took a sip of her tea.

"I'm sorry for what I said yesterday," she said finally. "I only meant it in jest."

"I know," Noll said with a sigh. He turned around. "Let's go and paint," he said with something like a smile.

Mai grinned back and put her almost empty mug on Noll's desk. She followed him out and down the corridor to Gene's bedroom.

"Oh wow…" Mai's mouth fell open. "Uh…"

Gene's room was a mess. Clothes were strewn all over the floor. Books were piled haphazardly on the desk and chair. Even his bed had belongings on it.

"I don't understand how someone as intelligent as Gene can live in such a pigsty," Noll commented.

"I expect this is organised chaos," Mai said. "He probably knows exactly where everything is in this tip." She paused for thought. "We should tidy it and move everything to new places."

"I am not tidying his room."

"Fine," Mai said. "You paint and I'll tidy." She handed him the paint brush and tin and set to work. She began with Gene's clothes, sorting them into piles of clean and dirty laundry. Mai put his clean clothes away in all the wrong places and the dirty ones in the laundry bin. She then started on his books. Mai decided that an alphabetical system would be far too convenient and instead chose to organise them by colour so by the time she was done, his bookcase resembled a rainbow.

She was about to start rearranging the items in his bedside drawer when Noll stopped her.

"You don't want to look in the bottom drawer," he stated. Mai frowned at him.

"Whyever not?" Mai asked curiously.

"Because you won't be able to look Gene in the eye ever again, let alone kiss him."

"I don't want to kiss him," Mai mumbled grouchily and opened the drawer anyway. Gingerly, she peered inside. "Eww! Whips Weekly? Really?!" She slammed the drawer shut. "I need to bleach my eyes."

"I did tell you," Noll muttered.

"And how did you know that's where he kept such things?" Mai asked, frowning at him. "Don't tell me you share porn mags…" she added, slightly disgusted.

"Whips aren't my kink."

"What? Eww!" Mai covered her ears with her hands. "I don't want to hear that!"

Noll looked around and smirked at Mai's reaction; it was worth saying such things just to see her squeal.

"Mai, close the curtains."

"What?!" Mai squawked, obviously alarmed.

"To see the effect of the pain," Noll continued. Mai let out a small sigh of relief and shut the curtains. They both turned and admired Noll's handiwork.

"Perfect," Mai praised. Gene would be able to read it quite clearly when lying in bed. "Say, do you have any idea what they might be planning to do to us?"

"I'm good Mai, but how on earth would I know what they have planned?"

"Perhaps because you know your brother better than anyone? And you live in the same house! You might've heard something."

"Believe it or not, I have better things to do than eavesdrop on my brother."

But Noll took a seat at Gene's now tidy desk and opened up his laptop. He typed in a password and waited for the desktop to load.

"You know his password?"

"Of course," Noll scoffed. "It's hardly difficult to guess."

"And you were so upset he worked out yours," Mai murmured.

"I take much more care with my security."

"We should change his password," Mai suggested suddenly. "To the answer of the riddle!"

"And set the hint to be 'turn off the lights'," Noll continued with a small smile.

"We're a good team," Mai said as she watched Noll make the changes. His smile did not fade at her words.

Once done, he opened up the browser and loaded Facebook.

"He left it logged in, idiot."

"You don't know his Facebook password?" Mai asked. Noll paused for thought.

"I could probably make a damn good guess at it," Noll said. Upon opening the conversation with Masako, he cursed again. "They didn't discuss it here."

"Check his history," Mai proposed. "He might've Googled for ideas?"

Noll complied gingerly with Mai's idea.

"Well at least he has the sense to use Incognito mode," he said as he glanced down the list of previous sites visited.

"When looking for ideas?" Mai frowned.

"Yes Mai," Noll replied patronisingly. "For… Ideas." He placed a delicate inflection on the final word.

Then Mai realised what he was implying.

"Eww!"

"You asked," Noll said. "Besides, it's a perfectly normal thing."

"Still icky."

"Are you telling me you don't?"

"Watch porn? No!" Mai said, horrified.

"I bet you read it," Noll said as he shut the laptop down. "I bet you read fanfiction," he continued with a smirk.

"So what if I do?" Mai replied defensively. "It's basically free books!"

Noll stood up and looked down at Mai, who suddenly felt very small.

"So is a library," Noll said. "But I doubt the librarian would think very much of you getting out a load of smut."

Mai went scarlet.

"You are so easy to read."

"You're a jerk."

"Let me guess," Noll said, a hint of amusement colouring his voice. "They were just meant for each other, right?"

"Hak and Yona are meant for each other and the sexual tension between them is undeniable!" Mai retorted passionately. "And they should just hurry up and-" she caught herself. "And kiss already."

"Sure. Come on," Noll said, still smirking. He took Mai's hand and picked up the paintbrush and tin in the other, then led her from the room.

"When will your parents be back?" Mai asked; evidently eager to change the subject.

"Not for a few hours," Noll replied. "Not that they'd care if you were here."

"I'm supposed to be ill at home though."

"They wouldn't tell anyone."

"Gene might though," Mai pointed out as they re-entered his bedroom.

"No, he wouldn't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because he…" Noll trailed off. "He just wouldn't."

Mai suspected that Noll wasn't telling her something, but didn't push the matter. She took a seat on his bed and nervously picked at a loose thread on her jeans.

"Have you made you're A-level choices yet?" Noll asked after a few moments of silence. He sat down on his desk chair and faced Mai.

"We have to hand the forms in before the Easter Holidays," Mai said. "I've almost decided."

"Well?" he prompted.

"Chemistry, biology, maths and then probably psychology or sociology or maybe law."

"What do you want to study at university?"

"Forensic Science with Criminology," Mai said apprehensively, as if expecting him to laugh.

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to study it?"

"So I can help people," Mai said. "Like on Criminal Minds or Silent Witness or something. So when people are killed or whatever, I can help give the families closure."

Noll nodded in reply.

"Is it wise for you to do chemistry?"

"Look, just because I blew up one thing doesn't mean I can't do chemistry!" Mai countered with a pout. "My teacher said I have an aptitude for the subject! And they promised not to mention the rate at which I manage to explode things on my references…"

Noll chuckled and Mai grinned awkwardly.

"What about you?" she asked. "I mean, I know you study just about every subject under the sun but…"

"Physics, chemistry, maths, further maths, additional further maths, psychology and I'm going to ask to be put in for French and potentially biology. I've learnt the course to cover for Gene; I may as well get a qualification out of it."

"I hate French," Mai muttered sourly.

"Moi aussi," Noll said and Mai laughed.

"What about university?"

"Natural sciences at Cambridge with the intention to specialise in physics."

Mai knew how difficult it was to get into Cambridge, but she did not doubt his ability. If anyone could, it would be Noll.

"Why physics?"

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," he said. Mai smiled at his words. "Besides, I'm leaving the curing of cancer up to Gene."

"Really?"

"Yeah, our aunt died from breast cancer," Noll said. "She doted on us a lot before she passed, Gene decided then."

"I reckon he can do it," Mai said. "He's clever enough."

"I meant what I said yesterday about offering to assist you with your studies, if you ever need it."

"Thanks," Mai said, blushing.

"Do you want to practice your lines?"

"Huh?"

"Well you're supposed to be at the rehearsal," Noll said. "I'd hate for you to be behind at the next rehearsal just because you're incapable of saying 'no' to me."

"I'm not incapable of saying 'no' to you!" Mai protested as Noll joined her on the bed. "I think you just want to practice the kissing bit!" she accused.

"I don't need to practice," Noll stated. Mai suddenly realised his face was very close. Her eyes flickered between his deep blue ones and his lips, which seemed to be getting closer.

"Really?" she whispered.

"Do you want proof?" he said in a low voice.

Mai didn't trust herself to speak. Her mind had gone strangely blank. Her breaths were coming shallow and quick. She nodded slowly and tentatively. A hint of a smirk danced across Noll's face as he closed the gap and-

The door opened and in stepped his mother.

The two teenagers sprung apart.

"Oh! I didn't realise you had a guest!" Luella exclaimed. "It's lovely to see you again Mai!"

"I believe it is polite to knock," Noll said tersely.

"Well I didn't expect to walk in on anything!" Luella suddenly frowned. "Gene said Mai was ill."

"Mai called in sick so we could work on the debating project."

"Is that what you kids call it these days?" Luella said teasingly. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone! Lunch is in half an hour." She turned to leave. "Oh and Noll? Use protection."

"Oh no! It's not like that!" Mai spluttered. "We weren't going to do anything!" But Luella was gone.

Noll practically growled as he got up to shut the door.

"I should go!" Mai said quickly as she jumped to her feet. "Oh, this is so embarrassing!"

"Why? We've kissed before," Noll pointed out. "We were caught before."

"By your brother! It's different! And if you remember rightly, we left straight away."

"Calm down Mai, she was just teasing," he said as he stepped in front of her.

"She thinks we were going to…" Mai couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"No she doesn't," Noll countered.

"But you heard her!"

"She was teasing," he deadpanned.

"But-" Mai started. But Noll had decided to shut her up. By kissing her.

Mai stood shocked for a moment before responding.

"She was teasing," Noll repeated when they broke apart.

"But-" Mai started again, but Noll pressed a single finger to her lips. She fell silent.

"I will kiss you again if you don't stop disputing this point," he threatened.

"I don't believe that's an acceptable debating technique," Mai murmured. "Miss Matsuzuki wouldn't approve."

"You're assuming I care what Miss Matsuzuki thinks," Noll pointed out and Mai laughed softly.

"I still maintain that-"

"Is this about my mother?"

"Yes," Mai replied and true to his word, Noll kissed her gently on the lips.

"You were saying?"

"I was about to say that-"

He kissed her again.

"That-"

He kissed her again.

"You know," Noll said quickly, before Mai could speak. "I'm starting to suspect you have ulterior motives."

"Damn, you caught me," Mai admitted self-consciously. Then she seemed to realise what she had just said. "I'm sorry! I mean, we're not… I didn't… I'm not…"

He kissed her again.

"That wasn't about your mother!"

"I'm changing my criteria," Noll stated. "To every time you say something stupid."

"I didn't say anything stupid!" Mai pouted up at him.

He kissed her again.

"Hey!" Mai pushed him away and he smirked in satisfaction. "That's mean." She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "It's just girls get a reputation if they go round kissing guys."

"So?"

"So! I don't want everyone calling me names," Mai huffed.

"Why do you care?"

"Because it hurts," Mai said quietly. "Guys don't get that. Guys can kiss whoever they want and as many people as they want and its fine."

"Have you been kissing many people?"

"No," Mai whispered. "J-just you." She was still facing away from him, but Noll suspected she'd gone red again.

"Then what's the problem?"

"We're not a thing! We're just friends. And it's you!" Mai realised at this point how badly she was explaining the complex set of oppressive social expectations that girls lived under. "Your fan club would murder me."

"If they are as bad as you say, then they would even if we were a 'thing' as you so delicately put it."

"I know," Mai whispered. "Which is why… I should go," she concluded lamely. She turned around and finally faced him. "Thank you for a lovely time." Mai brushed past him and left the room.

"Let me drive you back," Noll offered as he followed.

"I have a return ticket," Mai said as she started down the stairs.

"The bus won't arrive for another twenty minutes."

"I can wait at the bus stop."

"I'll wait with you."

"No," Mai said as she slipped on her shoes. "Apologise to your parents for me."

And she left.

Noll watched her go.

"Did your girlfriend leave?" his mother's voice said from behind him. Noll turned.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Perhaps if she was, she wouldn't've left."

Noll ignored his mother's words and returned to his bedroom. He grabbed his book from his desk and slumped onto his bed.

Five minutes later though, he realised he'd been staring at the page and yet not a single word had penetrated his brain. His mind was elsewhere. He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted with Mai, but he didn't want to lose her.

 **Are we still partners in crime?**

He typed out the text and sent it without thinking.

 **If you want, from Mai.**

Noll stared at the words, did she mean that? Or was she just being polite? It was so hard to tell.

 **Only if you do.**

 **Okay then, from Mai.**

Perhaps all was not lost, he thought as he turned his attention back to integrating hyperbolic trigonometric functions. His phone buzzed again.

 **But I expect you to find out what Gene and Masako are planning, from Mai.**

Noll smiled. All was not lost just yet.

* * *

 **Author's note: I should probably explain a few things...**

 **I have set this in England and am using the English schooling system. Mai is currently in yr 11 (15-16 years old) and taking her GCSEs. Noll and Gene are in yr 12 (16-17 years old, AKA lower sixth) and taking AS levels, which is half an A-level. It is usual for universities to only ask for 3 A-levels, but most Grammar Schools (what I went to and what Noll would definitely be going to) to have students taking 4/5. Maths A-levels are split up into modules, 3 modules makes an AS, and 6 make up the full A-level. So he is basically just taking a hell of a lot of modules, but considering I learnt one module in 6 hours (yay for Decision Mathematics 1) it's not as weird as it sounds... But Noll is a genius so its okay!**

 **Hak and Yona are characters from Akatsuki no Yona, an anime/manga I thoroughly recommend. Though fair warning, hands off! Hak is mine ;)**

 **If you have any other questions about things I've put in, for example, to do with the English Schooling system I will be more than happy to answer them!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

When Gene arrived home from the rehearsal he headed straight up to his bedroom. Quite frankly, he was knackered. People might not think that putting on a production would be tiring, but that simply wasn't true.

When he hadn't been on stage performing, he had been helping paint sets or moving equipment. There had always been something else that needed doing and Miss Mori was going spare that everything might not be ready in time.

But when he opened his door, he paused. Something about his room had changed. Gene couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He took a seat at his desk, opened up his laptop and typed in his password absent mindedly. He stared around at his surroundings and then back at his laptop. It hadn't logged in. He typed his password in again, frowning.

But it rejected his password again.

As his frown deepened, Gene checked the caps lock and num lock keys, but they were both off. He then used a single finger and deliberately pressed the keys that made up his password.

It refused it.

A message popped up: **You have incorrectly typed your password three times, would you like to see a hint?**

But he knew his own password, didn't he? Was it the wrong password? Was he that tired? He clicked on the hint and read: **Turn off the lights.**

"What kind of a hint was that?" he muttered to himself. None of his passwords had anything to do with lights… Then his earlier suspicions caught up with him. Someone had been in his room.

Scowling, Gene stood up and turned his lights off. He glanced around and spotted words on his wall in a faintly luminous yellow colour.

"My name has three letters. If you cut off one, I become stronger. If you cut off two, I become ten. What am I?" he read out loud. "A riddle…" He smiled in spite of himself. "Nice one Noll. But fortunately for me, I planned for this."

He knelt down beside his bed and felt underneath it. From the slats he drew out a small voice recorder. Gene retook his seat and started to play the recording. He had to skip for a while until he heard voices, then listened to Mai and Noll's entire conversation.

"I knew she wasn't ill," he mumbled. But a few phrases caught his attention. The recording might be useful.

As Gene left his bedroom, he noticed that it did seem a bit tidier. He knocked on his brother's door and was graced with a 'come in'.

"I can't believe you made Mai tidy my room," Gene said upon entering.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Noll replied from his bed, where he was still perusing a mathematics textbook.

" _You paint and I'll tidy,"_ Mai's voice said from the voice recorder in Gene's hand.

"You bugged your room?"

"I suspected you might try and do something heinous."

"I hardly count tidying as heinous."

"Budge up," Gene said. Reluctantly, Noll moved so Gene could sit on the bed with him. "But you didn't say the answer out loud."

"No, we didn't," Noll agreed.

"But, I would like to draw your attention to a few interesting points," Gene went on. "Firstly, that magazine is Yasuhara's."

"Of course."

"It is!" Gene insisted as he fast forwarded the track.

" _We're a good team_ ," Mai's voice said. Gene paused the recording again.

"You two are so cute," Gene teased.

Noll sighed. Gene fiddled again with the voice recorder.

" _I bet you read fanfiction_ ," he heard his own voice say.

" _So what if I do?_ " Mai's voice replied. " _It's basically free books!"_

" _So is a library, but I doubt the librarian would think very much of you getting out a load of smut_."

"I've read some of what she reads," Gene told his brother jovially.

"Excuse me?"

"She and Masako were reading it on her phone in a rehearsal once."

"Is there a reason you are telling me this?" Noll asked. His eyes had not once left the textbook.

"I was just going to warn you that there is some weird fanfiction out there," Gene replied. "Things that would make Yasuhara's porn mags look tame…"

"No one is going to believe they were Yasuhara's."

Gene forwarded the tape again.

" _Hak and Yona are meant for each other and the sexual tension between them is undeniable! And they should just hurry up and- And kiss already."_

"Ah, Hak and Yona," Gene sighed dramatically. "Have you see Akatsuki no Yona?"

"I have better things to do with my time."

"You should watch it Noll," Gene said. "Because Mai is right, Hak and Yona are meant for each other. You know, a tall, black haired, blue eyed, strong, athletic, intelligent and yet slightly rude young man who cares deeply for the fiery young princess who tries her best to help others. Do you see where I am going with this?"

"No," Noll replied bluntly.

"Seriously? If you ignored the whole business with Soo-won and dyed Mai's hair red, you guys two could cosplay them without even trying."

Noll sighed again.

"I don't suppose this Hak character has an annoying older twin brother who likes reading into things too much, does he?" Noll asked.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Why haven't you asked her out?" Gene asked.

"I don't want to."

"Liar."

"I'm happy how we are."

"Is she?"

"She wouldn't agree to it even if I did," Noll said bitterly.

"Yes she would," Gene countered.

"She wouldn't, she fears the wroth of my supposed 'fan club'."

"Oooh," Gene shivered. "I don't blame her." He paused. "It's just Year 11 prom tickets are being sold on Monday."

"So?"

"So, Mai is obviously going to want to go," Gene stated. "And she won't want to be the only girl without a date."

"I'm sure she'll find someone," Noll said. "Why don't you take her if you are so worried about it?"

"I'm already taken."

"Masako?"

"Naturally," Gene said with a grin. "So that means someone else-" He nudged Noll. "-will have to take her."

"Gene, I didn't go to our Year 11 prom, why on earth would I go to hers?"

"To make her happy."

"I'm not doing it," Noll stated firmly. "I'm sure someone else will take her."

"Yeah, you're right," Gene admitted. "Perhaps John will. He's really nice, I'm sure Mai would have a great time. Or perhaps Yasuhara would, he's always a laugh."

"If you are trying to make me jealous it won't work." Yet the tone of Noll's voice had changed somewhat.

"I was just listing the possibilities!" Gene shrugged with an amused expression on his face.

"Do you actually want something from me? Or are you just going to sit there and continue in your lame attempts to aggravate me?"

"Is it working?"

"No."

"Sure about that?"

"Quite."

Gene sighed and got up from the bed.

"Well I better get started on this riddle then," Gene said as he made his way to the door.

"You mean you haven't worked it out?" Noll looked up from his book.

"You know, until you said that, I felt almost bad about what I plan to do to you," Gene admitted. "Now I don't."

Noll shrugged and looked back down at his book. Once Gene had left, Noll grabbed his phone and texted Mai.

 **Gene is planning something, but implied that he's only targeting me.**

Then he Googled this Hak character. Perhaps they did look a bit similar. But Gene was just looking into things too much. He and Mai were just acquaintances. Who happened to have kissed once or twice. Nothing more.

And what was all that claptrap about prom for? Prom was everything Noll detested; loud music, bad food and raucous idiots. And the sight of Mai looking beautiful in a prom dress would not outweigh the bad points. Besides, he could just see the pictures afterwards on FB without having to go through all the torture of the actual event.

Moreover, Mai would have more fun with Yasuhara or John. And if Mai was happy, that was all that mattered.

* * *

When Mai heard the knock on her front door around midday on Sunday, she honestly had no idea who it might be.

She opened the door to see Gene clutching two carrier bags.

"Hello?"

"Hello Mai! Soon as you were ill, I thought I would come and check you were okay," Gene said with a smirk. "I brought you soup and everything!" He held up one of the bags.

"Um," Mai mumbled as Gene entered her apartment.

"I suppose all those things in my room where done entirely by my brother?"

Mai did not like the smile on Gene's face one bit.

"Well, uh," Mai stuttered.

"It's alright," Gene said. "I know you were there. I actually came to offer you a deal."

"What deal?"

"I will promise not to spill the beans to Miss Mori that you were skipping rehearsals for no good reason and to focus mine and Masako's next prank purely on Noll if you do something for me," Gene said seriously.

"What is it I have to do?" Mai asked cautiously.

"Wear these for the next week or so," he said, holding up the other bag.

"What is it?"

"Ah, if I told you that, it would ruin the dramatic tension, don't you think?" Gene said with an annoying smirk. "But I could always tell Miss Mori…"

"Fine," Mai hissed.

"And you aren't allowed to tell Noll I made you do it," Gene added.

"Fine."

"Wonderful," Gene said with a wide grin. Mai didn't like it one bit, but what other choice did she have? She took the bags from him.

"You were serious about the soup?"

"Yeah," he said, shrugging. "Why not?"

"You're so weird." Mai shook her head in disbelief.

"Well I better be off, things to do, people to prank…"

Mai watched Gene go and then looked through the bag.

"What on…" she mumbled as she pulled the garments out of the bag. "Well that wasn't quite what I was expecting…"

Just outside her apartment, Gene was dialling Masako's number.

"Hello?" Masako answered after three rings.

"Masako, I just saw Mai. She agreed to my deal, so you'll have to do yours tomorrow, okay?" Gene said.

"She agreed?"

"I threatened to tell Miss Mori she had ditched rehearsals to see Noll."

"Harsh, are you sure this is going to work?" She sounded unconvinced.

"Some people like whips, some people like other things…" Gene replied mysteriously as he walked down the street. "Any luck on the damn riddle?"

"Oh yes, my father had heard it before."

"Well?"

"It's a fox. Remove one letter and it becomes ox, a strong animal. Remove two letters and it becomes an X, the Roman numeral for ten."

"Masako you're brilliant," Gene said. "I could kiss you."

"Anytime," Masako replied.

"I might take you up on that."

"Keep your head in the game; we have other things to be putting into place!" Masako scolded.

"Spoil sport," Gene teased. "I'll head home now and put Operation Decaffeinate into action!"

* * *

The first lesson of the day on Monday was Drama for Mai. They were working on their final performance piece for their GCSE that was worth 30% of their final mark and Mai was paired with Masako.

Once Miss Mori had set them off working, Masako and Mai took to their corner.

"So I heard you saw Oliver on Saturday," Masako said as she pulled her notes out of her bag.

"What of it?"

"Well Miss Mori wouldn't like to hear you skipped the rehearsal just to see a boy," Masako said mischievously. Mai sighed.

"Let me guess, you're going to blackmail me into doing something daft too?"

"I'm glad you caught on so quickly!"

"What is it?"

"I want you to ask Oliver to prom," Masako stated boldly. Mai blushed.

"I can't," she mumbled.

"Why not?"

"We aren't like that Masako!" Mai said in an urgent hiss. "He wouldn't want to go!"

"But you want him to take you."

"No I don't," Mai lied.

"Considering we're in a Drama lesson, that was an awful lie. Well then I guess I'll just have to tell Miss Mori," Masako said in mock sadness. She raised her voice and called "Miss Mori!"

"Masako! No! Please!"

"Then ask him out!" Masako hissed back.

"I can't!" Mai pleaded.

"Miss Mori!" Masako called again.

"Masako!"

"Miss Mori!"

"Fine! I'll do it!"

"Yes girls?" Miss Mori had made her way over.

"We were just wondering when we'll find out our performance times?" Masako asked sweetly as Mai glared furiously at her.

"I hope to have the list by next lesson," Miss Mori informed them both. "We're probably going to have to spread them over two lessons because we have so many groups."

"Thank you," Masako said and Miss Mori left to assist another group.

"I hate you," Mai muttered darkly.

"You have until the end of the Easter holidays," Masako replied. "That's plenty of time."

Mai only scowled.

* * *

 **Author's note: So if any of you read A Hint of a Deception, I want you all to know that I won't be updating until I stop receiving reviews such as 'hurry up' and 'y u no rite more story'. I am adding a day for everyone I receive. Currently, I won't update until Thursday. (Edit: make that Friday)**

 **But only happier things!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this! Can any of you guess what Gene has made Mai wear? It's not out of place considering she has to wear a school uniform!**

 **Please review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Lin, I was wondering if I could ask for a favour," Gene said as he knocked on the office door.

"Gene, when we are at school you have to call me Mr Lin. Anything else would be inappropriate," Lin replied stiffly.

"Well then Mr Lin, could I ask for a favour?"

"Does this have anything to do with the pranks you and your brother have been playing on each other?"

"How do you know about that?" Gene asked, frowning.

"Your parents aren't completely oblivious to your actions," Lin replied, sounding almost amused.

"Well yes, it's to do with that."

"Then no," Lin said. "I will have nothing to do with it."

"Please!" Gene pleaded. "I need to get Noll back! He put toothpaste in an Oreo!"

"How dreadful," Lin replied sarcastically and turned back to his computer.

"Oh well," Gene said dramatically. "I understand, if you can't do it…" He sighed. "I'll find someone more capable." Gene made to turn away.

Lin took a deep tired-sounding breath.

"If I were to assist you, what would you have me do?"

"Nothing serious…" Gene began with a grin. He entered the office, closed the door behind him and spilled the details of his idea.

* * *

By lunchtime, Mai was in a foul mood. First that whole business with Masako – how dare she blackmail her like that! – then English had been a fiasco - no one cares about Romeo and Juliet anyway – and then finally she realised in Maths that she'd forgotten her calculator and no one seemed to have a spare.

She met Michiru and Keiko in the school canteen and they took a table near the window.

"It's a maths department! Why on earth do they not have spare calculators?" Mai ranted.

"They do have spares, they just refuse to give them out," Keiko told her. "Too many people stole them."

"Yeah, it's the same with protractors and stuff too," Michiru agreed. "Even if you have an exam!"

"Well that's even more stupid!" Mai continued. "How on earth was I supposed to do trigonometry without a calculator? Am I just supposed to know all those angles?"

"I don't see why not," a low voice said from beside her. "But you could alternatively use a trigonometric tables book."

Mai spun around to see Noll in the seat beside her.

"And I suppose you do know all of them?"

"To three significant figures," he said nonchalantly.

Mai was acutely aware of Michiru and Keiko watching the interaction with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Mai demanded.

"Eating my lunch," Noll said. He pulled a lunch box from his rucksack.

"There are like twenty other tables you could sit at," Mai pointed out.

"Twenty four."

"What?"

"There are twenty four other tables," Noll said and then took a bit of his sandwich.

"Fine, there are twenty four other tables you could sit at, why are you sitting here?"

"I don't know anyone sitting at the other tables."

"Yasuhara is sitting over there," Mai said. "There is space by him. Or John is over there."

"I don't want to sit with them."

"Well I don't want you sitting here!"

"Mai," Keiko said. "We don't mind!"

Mai glared at her friends. They weren't helping at all. Why didn't they realise that Noll was the last person she wanted to see right now?

"Really, we don't!" Michiru added with an annoying smile.

"See Mai, now stop being rude," Noll said and smirked at her.

"I hate you all," Mai muttered under her breath before pulling out her own lunch and taking a large bite of a sandwich.

"Ignore Mai," Keiko said to Noll. "She's having a bad day."

"I hadn't noticed," Noll replied.

"Masako annoyed her in drama, then what was it in English?" Michiru asked Keiko.

"Teacher made her read out from Romeo and Juliet and asked her something about antithesis or something."

"Yeah, that was it, and then she forgot her calculator in maths," Michiru continued. "And she has physics after lunch and she won't have a calculator for that…"

"It's just not going well," Keiko concluded.

"Have you two finished telling my life story to him?" Mai asked testily.

"We can if you like?" Keiko offered with a mischievous grin.

"I can lend you a calculator if you want," Noll offered. Mai turned quickly to face him.

"Really?" she asked, brightening instantly.

"I said I would assist you with your studies, didn't I? While it's not exactly what I had in mind, I have a spare."

"Please!" Mai said, ignoring the incredulous stares of her two friends. She knew they were going to be insufferable later, but she needed a calculator.

Noll bent down and started rummaging through his bag. He was about to sit back up again, calculator in hand, when he noticed something.

The female school uniform at their school consisted of a burgundy jumper, white blouse and a black pleated skirt. The girls then usually wore tights during the colder months. Upon first glance, Noll had believed Mai too was wearing tights. But he had just spotted a patch of skin between the end of her skirt and thigh high socks.

"Gene," he breathed with a scowl.

"Oliver?" Mai asked, concerned. She looked down and spotted the patch of bare skin and tugged her skirt down.

"Here you go," Oliver said, recovering himself quickly, and handed her the calculator.

"Thank you so much!" Mai gushed and dropped it into her own bag.

"I want something in return."

"What?"

"After your hasty departure the other day, my mother has decided you left as you did not like her cooking," Noll spelled out. "I need you to come round to reassure her that that is not the case."

"Oh really?" Mai said suspiciously.

"Yes. Are you free tonight?"

"After the rehearsal," Mai replied.

"Perfect, Gene will bring you home." Noll shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and left the table without even so much as a 'goodbye'.

"So Mai, care to explain?" Keiko asked in a delighted tone.

"It's nothing!" Mai insisted.

"Oh really?" Michiru said, obviously not believing one word. "So you were round there the other day huh?"

"Maybe," Mai said. She could feel her face going red.

"We didn't realise you were on such good terms with Oliver Davis though!"

"I'm not!" Mai protested. She knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Mai! That guy doesn't talk to anyone! Literally!" Keiko exclaimed. "And yet he just came over here to see you!"

Before Mai could dispute that this was a big deal in any way, everything got a whole lot worse.

"Hey Mai! I heard you were coming for dinner?" Gene called over. Mai let her head drop into her hands. Gene made his way over and took the seat that Noll had vacated a few minutes before.

"Hello Gene," Mai mumbled.

"So you're coming for dinner?"

"Yes," Mai agreed dejectedly.

"I hope you aren't going to coop yourself up in Noll's room again for the entire evening!" Gene hastened to add.

Both Michiru and Keiko squealed. Gene flashed them a grin.

"Shut up," Mai whined.

"Masako is joining us, so I was thinking Mario Kart tournament."

"Oliver won't agree to that," Mai said.

"He will if you ask him."

Michiru and Keiko squealed again. Mai didn't even bother to glare at them.

"I'll ask but…" Mai trailed off.

"Excellent! See you at rehearsals!" Gene ran off.

"So do you want to tell us about being cooped up in Oliver's room?" Michiru prompted.

Mai folded her arms on the table and rested her head in them as her two friends giggled at her suffering.

* * *

"I heard you've been embarrassing Miss Taniyama," a cheerful voice said as Gene poured himself a cup of tea in the Sixth Form common room.

"I might've been," Gene said. He turned to face Yasuhara and smiled.

"I was just wondering why," Yasuhara said as he gestured to some of the comfier chairs. Gene nodded and they sat down.

"To get her and Noll together."

"I don't follow?"

"Masako and I are scheming to get them together. Initiated a prank war against Mai and Noll," Gene explained. "We're not giving up until they get together."

Yasuhara nodded slowly.

"Is it wise?" he asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be better to just let them manage on their own?"

"Noll wouldn't do anything like that without a nudge," Gene said. "And Mai wouldn't unless she had encouragement either; she thinks too much about other people."

"Hmm," Yasuhara said. "I see your point, but I can't help but worry someone might end up getting hurt." He stood up. "And for your sake, you better hope it isn't Mai, because you will answer to me."

Gene watched Yasuhara walk away and took a sip of his tea. His words had given Gene food for thought and a reason to pause, to hesitate. It had all been so innocent and light-hearted.

Gene frowned and pulled out his phone.

 **Do you think we are pushing them too much? G.**

He waited for a reply.

 **Why? M.**

 **Yasuhara is worried we'll end up with someone getting hurt. G.**

 **It won't get that far. M.**

"I hope so," he murmured. "I really hope so."

* * *

Physics went well for Mai, mostly due to the fact that she had a calculator to compute the answers to the set of problems they had.

French however… French did not go as well. Mai hated French – who didn't? – and it was incredibly hard to concentrate when all she could do was relive the events of that lunchtime.

Would Noll agree to play games with Gene and Masako if she asked? Mai didn't think he would, and yet Keiko and Michiru had been right. Normally, he wouldn't speak to anyone apart from Gene unless it was to do with school work. And yet he had come and sat with them, no, with her.

But that didn't mean anything. Of course, he had lent her his calculator, but that was just him being kind. He was a kind person, though he pretended otherwise.

"Mai?"

Mai looked up. Damn. Her teacher was gesturing towards the board. Mai glanced at it and her eyes widened slightly.

"Vous allez au cinema?" Mai guessed.

"Exactement," her teacher said. Mai sighed and tried to focus her brain on French. Noll could speak French, she thought; perhaps he would help her with this dratted language.

Or maybe he'd teach her about French kissing…

Mai felt her face burn and she slapped her hands over her cheeks.

* * *

Noll's final lesson of the day was Chemistry. He took the new booklet from the girl sitting next to him and flicked it open. Regardless of how much his teacher hated him doing it, he began teaching himself the new topic.

He knew there was no point waiting for the teacher to teach. It'd be faster this way.

At least, it would be… If it wasn't for Mai's socks.

What on earth had possessed her to wear thigh high socks to school?

When standing, her skirt was long enough to cover the top of said socks. They hadn't been obvious. But now he knew they were there.

A low guttural noise escaped his lips, which caused the girl next to him to look around in concern.

Noll ignored her.

And returned to Mai's socks. No. Chemistry. He would focus on chemistry - and not the chemistry that was starting to become more and more evident to him between him and Mai.

There wasn't any.

Gene, he thought finally; it had to have been Gene that had orchestrated that. But how had Gene known?

How indeed...

* * *

"And so I want all of you to ask your friends! We need all the help we can get," Miss Mori explained as they packed up after the rehearsal. "Many hands make light work! And if they need persuading, tell them they can put it on their personal statement!"

Gene chuckled at Miss Mori's words. The dreaded personal statement was the bane of university applicants all over the country.

"You should ask Noll," Masako suggested as they waited for Mai.

"Really?"

"Why not?"

"He'd hate it."

"But if Mai isn't performing, she'll be leading some of the backstage people, won't she?"

Gene grinned and excused himself. He walked back over to where Miss Mori was packing up all her various pieces of paper.

"Miss Mori, my brother agrees to help!" he said.

"Gene, have you actually asked your brother?" Miss Mori asked.

"Miss Mori! What do you take me for? Some sort of heathen that puts toothpaste in Oreos and who signs his brother up for things he really wouldn't want to do?"

"Not at all Gene," Miss Mori replied sarcastically. "Bring him here and we'll find him something to do."

"Thank you Miss!" Gene practically skipped back to Masako.

"She didn't agree, did she?" Masako asked incredulously.

"If we can get him here…"

At that moment, Mai ran over.

"Hey! Sorry!" Mai apologised quickly. "Tony needed help with one of the sets and I got caught up and…"

"Don't worry about it," Gene said with a smile. "Come on!"

He led them out to the same car that Noll had taken Mai home in the previous week.

"How did Oliver get home?"

"Bus, he didn't fancy waiting."

"You'll wish he had," Masako muttered quietly to Mai.

"What was that?" Gene asked.

"Nothing."

"Why?" Mai whispered.

"You'll see."

And Mai did. Gene's driving ability was questionable at best.

"How did you learn to drive?" she asked.

"Well, Noll and I might've borrowed a car and there might've been a slight incident with a lake but… I got lessons!" Gene said. "I passed my test on the first attempt."

"Who did you bribe?"

"No one!" he insisted.

"Then how come Noll can drive and you- Gene! Keep your eyes on the road!"

"Because Noll listens to the rules and I think of myself as more of an intuitive driver," Gene said with disdain.

"I'm never letting you drive me anywhere again," Mai mumbled as she clutched at the door.

"He's never crashed," Masako pointed out. "If you ignore the lake thing…"

Mai didn't dare reply; she feared she might be sick if she opened her mouth.

When they arrived, Mai practically fell out of the car and kissed the ground beneath her feet.

"Hello," a familiar voice said. Mai looked up and saw Noll in the doorway; she scrambled to her feet and pelted towards him. Mai crashed into Noll and threw her arms around his middle. He stood there rather stiffly and looked down at the figure attached to his waist.

"Please, never ever let him drive me anywhere!" she begged. "Please!"

"Mai, let go."

"Promise me!" she said as she squeezed tighter.

"Sorry Noll!" Gene said jovially as he got out of the car.

"I knew I shouldn't have taken your test for you," Noll muttered.

"What?!" Mai's head shot upwards. "You took his test?"

"Mai, you have just experienced his driving ability, do you really think he would have passed?"

"Then he shouldn't be on the road!"

"I owed him," Noll said. Mai shook her head.

"And I thought you were supposed to be clever."

"I won't let him drive you anywhere again," Noll said finally.

"Really?" Mai's eyes lit up.

"I'd rather you lived," he admitted.

"Geesh you two! Get a room!" Gene snickered.

Noll glared at his brother and led Mai inside and up to his bedroom.

"How are you?" he asked gently once the door was shut.

"Did you really take his test?" Mai asked as she collapsed on his bed.

"Perhaps," Noll sat down beside her. "But you never answered my question."

"I'm fine," Mai said with a smile. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down so he was lying beside her. "That's better."

Noll raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't argue.

"How was the rehearsal?" he asked.

"Pretty good," Mai said cheerfully. "But we need a bad one before Thursday."

"Why?"

"Really? I thought everyone knew. If your last rehearsal before the real performance doesn't go awfully then your first performance will go wrong."

"That's superstitious nonsense."

"But from experience, it's true," Mai said. "Maybe it's a psychological thing? People put more effort in if the rehearsal goes bad and vice versa."

"Perhaps."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Noll said, sitting up.

"Are you two clothed?" Gene's voice floated through the still closed door.

"No," Mai replied sarcastically. "We're completely naked; do you want to join us?"

"Do you need someone to show you how it's done?" Gene said sympathetically as he burst in. "I'm quite happy to-"

"What do you want?" Noll butted in.

"Mario Kart tournament time!"

"We're not playing," Noll stated.

"Oh please!" Mai pleaded. She sat up and looked at Noll with large brown eyes. He sighed and looked down at her. "Please!"

"One race," he conceded.

Mai grinned and caught Gene's eye. He mouthed 'I told you so' at her and winked.

Mai followed the two twins downstairs to where Masako was setting up the console. She handed out the wired controllers and Gene brought out two beanbags as the controllers would not reach to the sofa.

Gene sat down in one with Masako sat in his lap, Mai looked at Noll and then at the other beanbag.

"You take it," he said.

"I don't mind sharing," Mai admitted. She expected Noll to refuse, but he only shrugged. She watched him take a seat and let him pull her down so she was sat between his legs. Mai did not look at Gene and Masako; she couldn't bear to see their smug faces.

"Let the games begin!"

* * *

 **Author's note: So I was totally going to write Omakes with all your suggestions of what Mai was wearing (some of you are so perverted! You know who you are! ) but this took me forever to write because I've started my summer placement and so my day was filled with reading particle physics papers! Honestly, I found two typos in the first one, people on this site write 100x better than physicists...**

 **But enough of my complaints.**

 **A Hint of a Deception now won't be updated until at least Saturday. You can all thank Manda for that!**

 **Um... I'm sure there was something else I wanted to say...**

 **Ah well! Please review :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Due to the nature of their seating positions, Noll found he had to wind his arms around Mai's waist in order to use his controller. But to his slight surprise, he found that this didn't bother him very much. In fact, he quite liked it.

Mai smelt quite nice. He wasn't quite sure what the smell was though, something like vanilla. And though her hair kept tickling his face, he couldn't help but notice how soft it was.

However, these distractions had adverse effects. They lost the first race, and very badly. When Mai immediately insisted on a rematch, Noll did not protest. He liked having an innocent reason for sitting so intimately with her.

But this thought provoked another. What if they kept losing…?

Noll soon found there was a skill to ensuring that they continued to lose while making it look as if he wasn't trying to cause it. Before long they had racked up a very long record of almost victories.

"Are you four hungry?" Luella asked from the doorway. Gene paused the game and the four looked around.

"Yeah," Gene said. "I'm starving."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, tea will be ready in about ten minutes," Luella replied with a wide smile. "You guys can eat in here."

"Thanks mum!"

Gene started the game and they all returned to gaming mode.

"Hey Noll?" Gene said a few minutes later as he wound though the virtual racetrack.

"Yes?" Noll replied without taking his eyes from the screen.

"When are you going to stop losing on purpose?"

At Gene's words, Mai crashed her kart in surprise and spun around to face Noll.

"What does he mean? You've been losing on purpose?" she said with a hurt frown. "I have been trying so hard!"

"I'm not trying to lose," Noll said stiffly as Mai turned back to the screen.

"Then why haven't you wiped the floor with us?" Gene posed. "Or are you actually bad at something other than expressing your emotions?" He stuck his tongue out at his younger twin.

"I express myself perfectly clearly."

Gene rolled his eyes.

"Could've fooled me."

"That's because you're an idiot."

"I think he just wants Mai to stay sat in his lap," Masako said. "But doesn't otherwise have a good excuse to have her there."

Noll ignored them both. If Gene hadn't known Noll was incapable of such a thing, he would have thought his twin was blushing. Perhaps the blood flow is going elsewhere, he thought with a snigger.

Mai, on the other hand, had taken full advantage of the other's distraction and cruised to victory.

"Ha!" she said in triumph. "You all suck."

"You missed all of that; didn't you Mai?" Masako asked with a smirk.

"Missed what?"

Even Noll rolled his eyes.

"Never mind," Gene mumbled.

Fortunately – for Noll at least - at that moment, Luella burst into the room with her arms full of pizzas on plates.

"Pepperoni will be…?"

"Mine!" Gene took the first plate from her.

"Hawaiian is Masako's?"

Masako took the plate with a gracious smile.

"Spinach and ricotta?"

"That's Mai's," Noll said. Luella handed Mai the plate and she looked down at it slightly stunned.

"How did you know?"

"Noll told me to get one," Luella said with a smile. She handed the final pizza, BBQ chicken, to Noll and swept from the room.

"You remembered," Mai said slightly incredulously.

"Why wouldn't I?" Noll replied. "Eat it before it gets cold."

Gene and Masako shared a look and a smile before tucking into their own food.

Once they had finished eating, Gene decided that they should change the game.

"How about multiplayer Far Cry 3?" he suggested.

"I haven't played that," Masako said.

"Me neither," Mai chimed in.

"Even better!" Gene said as he slot the disk in. As the game loaded, he began whispering the controls to Masako.

"What? No fair!" Mai protested. She turned in desperation to Noll who shrugged.

"I haven't played this either," he said. "Get the case; it usually has the controls in it."

Mai grabbed the case and pulled the instruction leaflet out. Noll took it from her and scanned the pages, then he told her the really important things such as how to shoot, aim, duck and run.

"Ready?" Gene asked. "We'll all be on the same team so communication is key."

"If we're on the same team, why wouldn't you share the controls?" Mai asked with a pout.

"Because Masako and I are still going to rack up more kills than you two," Gene said with a smirk.

Mai sighed as Gene pulled up the menus. The four of them picked their characters and then began playing.

"I don't like the music," Mai mumbled with a subconscious shiver. "Makes me feel all tense."

"It's supposed to," Noll replied. "In a similar way to horror films. It's supposed to add to the quality of the play."

"But if this was real, you wouldn't have background music."

"In real life, once you were shot, you'd be dead or severely injured," Noll said. "Then again, I wouldn't let you handle weapons in real life. You'd be more of a danger to yourself than anyone else."

"Hey!" Mai protested. "That's not fair! As if you know how to handle guns!"

"I read a book once, which makes me more qualified than you."

"That really isn't the same as actually using one."

"Will you two stop squabbling?" Gene asked. "Trying to take this base here, you know!"

Noll and Mai rolled their eyes in unison.

Gene wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but as they played he couldn't help but feel like Noll was protecting Mai's character in the game, rather than actually trying to kill the opposition. If they weren't having their arses handed to them, Gene probably would've thought it was quite cute. Then again, perhaps he shouldn't have set the difficulty level so high.

They played campaign after campaign until Masako's father turned up to escort her home. Noll offered to take Mai home at that point and she accepted as it was getting late.

"Drive safe!" Gene said with a smirk.

Mai ignored his comment and followed Noll out to the car. Soon they were trundling along the roads in an odd silence.

Noll decided to break said silence.

"How is the play coming?"

"Alright," Mai said, gratefully clutching at the topic. "The stage stuff is all set and sorted. But Miss Mori is concerned we don't have enough backstage hands. Yasuhara is MC, but he'll be helping when not out the front. John might help out if I ask him…"

"I'll assist," Noll said nonchalantly. Mai gaped at him.

"Did I hear that right?" Mai asked in disbelief. "You want to help with the production?"

"Not really," he replied. "But two people I care about have put a great deal of effort into it. My parents would force me into going and seeing it anyway, I'd rather be useful backstage than bored in the audience."

Mai was stunned.

"You don't have to," she mumbled.

"I know."

"Well if you really want to, tell Miss Mori."

"Okay," Noll said. "By the way, Gene has attempted another prank."

"Huh? When?"

"He switched my tea for its decaffeinated counterpart."

"Is that a big deal?"

"Not really," Noll admitted. "Nothing I can't deal with anyway. But he doesn't know that."

"Oh," Mai mumbled. "What are you doing to do?"

"I was contemplating acting oddly to concern him," Noll said. "Behaving out of character so that he thinks he's actually done something dreadful and hopefully feels bad about it."

"But won't he think he's succeeded then?" Mai pointed out.

"Possibly, but we'll know better and the joke will be on him," Noll said. "Besides, we need to get him back for cheating on finding the answer to the riddle."

"What? He worked it out?"

"No, he asked Masako, who asked her dad apparently," he said in disgust. "He didn't even try and work it out."

"What a knob!" Mai complained. "That was such a good idea!"

"He has no appreciation," Noll agreed.

"So how are you going to behave oddly?"

"I wasn't sure," Noll acknowledged. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Act like a normal human around him, that'd confuse him."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, like, actually smile and stuff. Show you care and all those things that normal people do," Mai said.

"Sounds painful."

"You have to admit he would find it weird," Mai said.

"Hmm," Noll replied.

"Lick his face," Mai added. "People think that is really weird."

Had Noll not been driving, he would have given her a look of disgust.

"This is your place, right?" he said finally.

"Yeah, thanks for the lift." Mai made to get out, but Noll touched her arm and she stopped to look back at him. "What?"

"He made you wear those socks, didn't he?" Mai blushed at his words. "And he made you promise not to tell me right? What did he offer you in return?"

"Immunity from his and Masako's pranks," Mai confessed. "They are warm and you can't really tell because my skirt is so long so…" she trailed off rather pathetically.

"I see."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Making deals with the enemy, I won't wear them again."

"No," Noll insisted quickly. "Carry on wearing them."

"Why?" she asked innocently.

"No point in you getting hurt from his stupid ideas."

"Okay." Mai smiled awkwardly. "Say, do you have any idea why he made me wear thigh high socks of all things? It just seems a bit weird…"

Had Noll not had greater control over his own body, he probably would've gulped at her words and blushed.

"No idea," he said with his characteristic blank face. "Do you want me to walk you up?"

"No, it's okay," Mai said and climbed out of the car. This time, Noll did not stop her. "See you at school tomorrow!"

He nodded in reply and watched her walk into her apartment building. Once she was safe inside, he pulled away and began the drive home.

Noll headed straight for his bedroom when he arrived. From the general level of noise in the house, he presumed his parents had already gone to bed. He sat down at his desk and pulled open his laptop.

Having Mai around so much was starting to affect his studies, and yet Noll found he didn't mind so much. It wasn't like he was falling behind. He pulled his homework out of his bag and logged into various sites.

Noll checked his FB and his email accounts. There was nothing of interest, excusing an email from Lin, the computing teacher who happened to be a good friend of his parents.

 **Re: Gene's pranks.**

Frowning slightly, Noll opened the email and read the contents.

 **Noll,**

 **Just a heads up that Gene is planning to prank your pc in some way. He attempted to rope me into his plans.**

 **Lin**

Noll sighed and opened his textbook, completely unaware of the virus attached to Lin's email that was corrupting his PC as he flicked the pages.

He stared down at the pages of maths questions, but nothing was really going in. The complicated equations were getting lost somewhere between his eyes seeing the image and his brain registering it as actually meaning something.

Instead, his mind was filled once again with the image of Mai's socks and the innocent look on her face when she had asked why Gene had made her wear them. But there was something wholly innocent about thigh high socks in general, he thought.

They were a practical thing really. They kept legs warm. And yet somehow they were incredibly sexy. Though Noll hated that word, it was so… Inelegant. And totally unworthy of Mai.

Perhaps it was the way they drew his attention to Mai's rather shapely legs.

But Noll could not view Mai as conventionally beautiful. Had they been in some crappy teen romance story, she would have been described as 'girl next door' pretty. Masako could have been pronounced striking, but Mai was something softer.

Her hair had been soft, he thought. He wondered briefly if her skin was also soft, perhaps it would be more so.

Noll shook his head in an ungainly fashion, like an animal trying to rid itself of flies. Now was not the time for such thoughts. It was never the time for such thoughts.

Deciding his homework could wait until tomorrow – he had two free periods to complete it in – Noll decided to check the news to see if there was any notable update on Run II of the LHC. He opened up a new tab and typed: **BBC news**.

Yet instead of his browser autocorrecting his search to the relevant website, it opened up Google. His search criterion was at the top. Yet underneath it was: **_Did you mean:_** **Mai Taniyama's socks** ** _?_**

"What…?"

The results below this statement were what he expected, but he no longer cared for the news.

He searched for something else: **Gene is an idiot**.

But the ' ** _Did you mean:_** **Mai Taniyama's socks** ** _?_** ' message remained.

Out of curiosity, he clicked on the supposed correction and the message changed.

 ** _Did you mean:_** **You're a pervert** ** _?_**

Noll scowled, but humoured it and clicked on the correction again.

 ** _Did you mean:_** **Yes you are** ** _?_**

He sighed and a pinging noise drew his attention back to his email account. Lin had emailed him again.

 **Noll,**

 **Apologies, it will only last for 24 hours.**

 **Lin**

Noll sighed again, he had expected better of Lin, and headed for Gene's room. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Gene replied.

"Really? You got Lin in on this?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he entered. Gene sniggered.

"Oh come on! It was funny!"

"Hilarious," Noll said sarcastically. "I can barely contain my laughter."

"Oh lighten up Noll," Gene said and he patted the bed beside him. Reluctantly, Noll sat down. "And stop pretending you didn't enjoy it."

"I'm not pretending anything."

"Course not," Gene said, rolling his eyes.

There was a momentary silence.

"Why are you doing all of this?" Noll enquired.

"Why do you think?"

"If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't have asked in the first place," Noll said tersely.

"Because Mai likes you and you like Mai," Gene replied simply. "You like spending time with her, but need an excuse to and I can provide that."

"I don't need an excuse."

"Yes you do, you'd never ask her to hang out normally."

Noll didn't bother to argue against that point, because he knew it was true.

"When are you going to stop?"

"I told you, when you get together as then you have a readymade excuse," Gene said. "Do you want me to stop?"

Noll didn't answer, but pondered Gene's question. In truth, he didn't want it to stop. Gene was right, he had no reason to see Mai apart from at the debating club and that was only for an hour every week. That just didn't seem enough anymore.

"I'm going to bed," Noll said finally.

"Goodnight," Gene said with a soft smile. He watched his brother go and wondered if it was the decaffeinating, Lin's virus or the socks that had caused his brother's pensive mood. Regardless, Gene felt like everything was heading in the direction he wanted.

Besides, setting his brother up with Mai meant he could spend more time with Masako, which was something he really didn't mind at all.

As Gene readied himself for bed, he pondered the problem. They needed a bigger catalyst to provoke Noll and Mai's relationship to further. Gene knew Noll did not care for labels such as 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' and that he'd happily have his relationship with Mai to remain exactly where it was; spending more time together than was strictly necessary for 'just friends' with more intimate physical contact than was socially acceptable.

He had a feeling that his twin and Mai had kissed more than at that one rehearsal, though he had no proof.

The real issue, Gene supposed, was Mai's fear of Noll's fan club. Gene had successfully avoided such problems purely by being more approachable than his brother. No one had idolised him, but had made efforts to become his friend.

Ideally, Gene would have Noll deal with the fan club, but he knew Noll would do no such thing. His brother did not care what other's thought of him as long as they left him well alone.

As Gene climbed into bed and turned off his beside lamp, he stared at the still glowing words on his wall. Perhaps, what was needed was a confidence boost for Mai.

The question then was how could he orchestrate such a thing?

* * *

 **Author's note: So I can't remember if I mentioned that I have started my summer placement, hence my ability to write in every waking hour has greatly diminished. I hope to update my other two active GH stories sometime this weekend.**

 **Why is it I think of great things to tell you all during the day and then completely forget them by the time I come to write this note?**

 **Oh! I just remembered a thing! So I had this idea - that I shared with AmyNChan - that we should set up some writing awards. I've seen it done in other fandoms, but I have yet to find anything for GH. I thought this would be a great way to share new stories and recognise the talent we have within the fandom! Plus, I honestly feel like I have read every decent fic out there, but I know I can't have read them all. So I'm hoping this would bring some lesser known but awesome stories into the light so they get the recognition they deserve. What do you think?**

 **Let me know if you'd like to know more!**

 **But enough of all that, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

But Gene's hopes to give Mai a confidence boost were completely dashed the following day.

In fact, it couldn't have really been much worse.

Noll looked for Mai at break time on the pretext of asking for his calculator back, but she was nowhere to be found. Likewise, at lunchtime, he went to the cafeteria but Mai was not with Keiko or Michiru.

"Have you seen Mai?" Noll asked the duo.

"She texted saying she had something to do," Keiko replied offhandedly. "I think she's stressed out about this play though, she seemed a bit off earlier."

"She might've gone straight to debating club?" Michiru suggested.

"Right," Noll said and nodded his thanks as he left. He winded his way through the corridors of the school to the English classroom they used for the debating club. Almost all of the regular members were already there. Yet again, Mai was conspicuous only by her absence.

"Has Mai turned up?" he asked Miss Matsuzuki.

"Mai? No," she replied.

"I'm not staying today, I have things to do," Noll told her.

"Alright, we'll see you after Easter then."

Noll left the classroom and ducked into the loos. He pulled out his phone and texted Mai, not that he was worried.

 **Where are you?**

But she did not reply. He texted Gene.

 **Do you have a rehearsal now?**

 **No, G.**

"Damn," Noll muttered under his breath. Where could she be?

Sighing, Noll walked to the library. He figured he may as well get some homework done. Once there, he moved to his usual secluded corner that was out of sight of just about everyone including the librarian's desk.

And there, sat in the corner on the floor, was Mai.

It became immediately obvious to Noll that something was very very wrong. Mai was curled up and hugging… Was that his hoodie? He couldn't see her face as her hair was covering it, but he could tell by the slight shaking of her body that she was silently sobbing.

Noll sat down beside her. Mai looked up at the movement and Noll took in her red blotchy face that was stained with tear tracks.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a whisper.

"Nothing."

Noll leant over and kissed Mai gently on the top of the head.

"Why did you do that?" she whispered back.

"I told you before, that I would kiss you every time you said something stupid. Lying to me is pretty stupid."

Fresh tears sprouted from Mai's eyes.

"I'm not stupid," she whimpered.

"I know," he replied. What he really needed right now was for Gene to come and tell him how to deal with crying people. Noll tried to imagine what Gene would say in this situation. "Why are you hugging my hoodie?"

"It smells nice," Mai mumbled.

Noll wasn't entirely sure how to react to that at all; his face formed a slight frown.

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

Mai replied by picking up a piece of paper that Noll hadn't noticed previously from the floor and shoving it into his hands.

Noll took it and looked down at its contents. It was written in a loopy handwriting that had he been asked to guess, he would have presumed it belonged to a female.

Convinced he was not going to like the letter's contents at all, Noll began to read.

 _Mai,_

 _Who do you think you are throwing yourself at Oliver Davis like some slut? He doesn't want you. Who on earth would want someone as ugly and stupid as you? That's why your parents killed themselves._

 _You should just give up! You're a disgusting skank whore who's never going to amount to anything! And whoring yourself out to Oliver won't change that! You should kill yourself like your worthless parents did._

 _From_

 _Someone who knows better than you._

"Where did you get this?"

"It was in my locker."

"Have you shown a teacher?"

"What? So I can be a tell-tale as well as a stupid, ugly, worthless slut?"

"You aren't any of those things."

"Says who?"

"Says me," Noll replied forcefully.

"As if that matters," Mai muttered. "You don't have to walk around knowing that one of the people around you thinks you're a slut just because you talk to a boy."

Noll pocketed the letter.

"Do you know why they think that?" he asked softly.

"Because they fear being called these things themselves, so they do it first."

"Well if you know that, why is it bothering you?"

"Because some of us have emotions," Mai hissed. "Some of us are stressed about the performances and GCSE exams and keeping up with homework and the fact that they've been spending time with a boy that keeps kissing her and yet doesn't seemed to want to be anything more than friends and that's really confusing! And I can't just go home and deal with that like a normal teenager because I have to cook and clean and pay bills as well and I just can't deal with everything!"

"And this was the last straw?" Noll provided.

Mai's shoulders sagged.

"I guess," she whispered. "It's why I like coming round to your house; I can pretend to be normal…"

"You can come round whenever, my parents don't mind."

"I can't," Mai said quietly. "Not if this is the response I get." She made to indicate the letter and then realised it had vanished from view. "Where is it?"

"I'll deal with it."

"No!" Mai insisted. "That'll make it worse."

"I won't let them hurt you like this Mai," Noll replied. "I won't cause a fuss."

Mai didn't protest further, Noll wondered if she had the energy to.

"What's the time?"

"Quarter past," Noll said after a glance at his phone.

"I should head to maths," Mai mumbled. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and forced her face into a smile.

"Here," Noll said and passed her a water bottle from his bag. "You'll be dehydrated."

"Thanks," Mai whispered. She took a drink and handed it back.

"And you might want to go and wash your face before class," he pointed out. "Do you have a rehearsal today?"

"No, Miss Mori is giving us a day off before tomorrow's technical-slash-dress rehearsal."

"Come round."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…" she trailed off lamely. She had no real reason to object. "Who's driving?"

"If you come round, I will drive," Noll said with a slight smile.

"I'll think about it."

Noll got to his feet and held his hand out to Mai. She took it and Noll took the opportunity to pull her into a loose embrace. Mai rested her head against his chest for a moment before bending to pick up her bag.

She shoved his hoodie into it and hitched it onto her back. Noll nodded his head towards the exit and Mai followed him out. He walked her to the nearest loos and turned to face her.

"I'll see you after school okay?"

Mai nodded and gave an awkward wave goodbye as she ducked into the loos.

Noll headed straight for the Sixth Form common room. He knew Gene would be there and that was exactly who he had to talk to right now.

Sure enough Gene was reading a French book when Noll arrived. He sat down beside his twin.

"I want you to know if you had anything to do with this I will kill you," Noll said in a dangerous voice.

"With what?" Gene asked with a genuine frown. Noll pulled out the letter and passed it to him. He studied Gene's face as he read and was pleased to see the disgust showing. "Who did this?"

"No idea, Mai found it in her locker. I found her crying in the library."

"Please tell me you comforted her," Gene said apprehensively.

"Well I wasn't going to leave her there crying."

"Good," Gene muttered, then he added "is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Did her parents kill themselves?"

"I have no idea," Noll admitted. "I wasn't about to ask her about it though."

"Wow, it's almost like you do have a sensitive side."

"Now is really not the time."

"I know," Gene said. "Hey! Yasuhara!"

Yasuhara looked around from where he was sitting before jumping up and join them when Gene waved.

"What is it?"

Gene handed him the letter. Yasuhara read it and glared up at Gene.

"What did I tell you?" he hissed. "Didn't I say if Mai got hurt by your stupid ideas that you would answer to me?"

"I didn't cause that," Gene protested.

"You did," Noll countered. "If you hadn't started this whole thing, whoever wrote this wouldn't have done it."

"If you dealt with the girls that idolise you this never would've happened."

"It's not my fault they don't have anything better to do with their lives! Nor is it my responsibility to stop them!"

"Boys!" Yasuhara butted in. Both twins turned to face him with identical glares. He had to admit it was slightly scary. "Mai's problem?"

"Right," Gene said. "What are we going to do?"

"Well I can use my power as Head Boy to put some feelers out," Yasuhara said. "I'll talk to Sophie, the Head Girl, and see if we can find out who did this."

"Mai doesn't want a fuss made," Noll interjected. "She thinks it'll make it worse."

"Noll, it's bullying, we can't let whoever did this get away with it."

"Fine," he hissed. "But keep it quiet. If the circumstances of her parents' deaths are true, Mai wouldn't want that spread about."

"I know."

* * *

Noll found Mai after school waiting by the gates.

"Are you coming then?"

"Um, no," she replied, looking at her feet. Noll waited for her to continue. "With the play coming up I really ought to go food shopping and do homework because I won't have time over the next few days and…"

"Then I'll assist you."

"What? No! You can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't make you come and carry stuff or anything…"

Noll sighed.

"Why not?" he repeated in a bored voice.

"Because!"

"Mai, you are an adept member of the debating club, if you cannot come up with a better argument than 'because' I'm going to have to reassess my opinion of your ability."

"Fine," Mai said and her shoulder's drooped slightly, as if she had no energy left to argue. Noll followed her as they walked back to her apartment.

Once there, Mai changed and picked up a rucksack.

"Um, if you leave your bag here, I can lend you a bag…" Mai mumbled as she rummaged through a cupboard for another rucksack.

When she found one, she passed it out and Noll took it silently. They walked in silence to the supermarket, but Mai found she didn't much mind the lack of conversation. She'd had a very emotionally tiring day and didn't think she was quite up to arguing with Noll just yet.

Noll followed Mai around the supermarket, occasionally passing her things and when the basket became too heavy, he took it from her without question. Mai didn't argue.

And when they got to the checkout, Noll automatically put the heavier items – like a three kilo bag of pasta and a dozen tins – straight into his bag and let Mai take the lighter and more easily crushed items.

"What do you want for tea?" Mai asked as they began their walk back.

"What would you have had if I had not joined you?"

"Probably pasta and something…"

"You make it sound so appetising," Noll commented dryly.

"I'll have you know that I'm a pro at pasta, frozen veg, sauce and cheese," Mai told him indignantly. "I have the timing down so that I can cook and eat it within an average length episode of anime."

"You should include that on your personal statement," Noll said. "You seem to have student life already sorted."

"Aren't students supposed to go out and get drunk?"

"If we are sticking to the stereotypes, then yes."

"Then I suck at it," Mai replied.

"I doubt you are missing much."

They were about halfway home when it began to rain. And it wasn't just a light shower, but a full on downpour.

One minute the sky had been clear and blue, the next it was dangerously dark clouds and droplets of water the size of grapes were falling from the heavens.

Neither Mai nor Noll bothered to hasten their pace, they were soaked within a few minutes and they knew there was no point fighting it.

When Mai let them back into her flat, they dumped the food in the kitchen before stripping off their drenched outer layers.

"Um, I'm going to go and change," Mai said as she waved a hand towards her bedroom. "I don't know if I have anything that'd fit you but…"

"If you do, it would be appreciated," Noll replied. His white school shirt was plastered to his skin and it had gone slightly see-through. His trousers were also clinging to his body.

Mai hurried to her room and pulled on her pyjamas, not caring what Noll thought of the floral pattern, and her long fluffy bed socks. She searched her wardrobe and drawers, but she just couldn't find anything that was remotely likely to fit Noll.

"Oliver?" she called as she rummaged.

"Yes?"

Mai heard him walking down the corridor and looked round when he had stopped in the doorway.

"Do you wanna look? I have no idea what would fit you and…" Mai stood up. "You can borrow anything you can find. Just see what you can find and I'll put your clothes in the dryer."

Noll nodded and Mai left him.

It was only as Mai was putting all her food away that she remembered she had Noll's hoodie in her school bag, but she wasn't about to remind him of that fact. Primarily because she wanted to keep it for herself, but partially because she was curious as to what he would choose to wear from her limited wardrobe.

She sincerely hoped it was not just his boxers.

Well, maybe that wouldn't be too bad…

"Here," Noll's voice said. Mai spun around from where she was standing to see Noll standing at the other end of her kitchen holding a bundle of sodden clothes.

Mai burst out laughing.

She had completely forgotten that she owned a baby pink fluffy dressing gown. But the sight of Noll wearing it had her clutching at her stomach with pain from laughing.

It barely reached his mid-thigh and elbows. He had used the tie to hold it in place so that it covered his torso, but the thing that really made the picture was the serious expression on his face.

"Are you quite finished?"

"No," Mai wheezed between laughs. She had sunk to the floor and tears were leaking from her eyes. The tension she had ever since she had found the letter was expelling from her body with every giggle.

When she finally looked up, she could tell by Noll's eyes that even though his expression was serious and bored, that he didn't resent her for her laughter. Perhaps he had made this choice just to make her laugh.

"It suits you," she said as she regained control.

"Of course it does," Noll replied.

Mai smiled as she got up and took the wet clothes from him. She threw them in the dryer and set it off.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, but tea would be welcome."

Mai flicked the kettle on. When she looked back around at Noll, she had to try very hard to suppress her laughter again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled at the look on his face.

"I can take it off if you would prefer," he offered with a pre-emptive smirk. Sure enough, Mai's cheeks obliged by turning a familiar scarlet colour.

She made two cups of tea and they took seats at the kitchen table.

"I suppose you aren't going to let me take a photo?" Mai asked.

"Not if you wish to live," Noll replied. But at his words, Mai's shoulder's sagged a little. "Can I ask you about that letter?"

"I guess," Mai mumbled. She stared into the depths of her tea as she stirred it absent-mindedly with a spoon. She had expected this.

"Did your parents kill themselves?" He had wanted to word this more sensitively, but knew not how. It was only as the words escaped his mouth that he realised quite how blunt they were.

"Mum did," Mai whispered. "She wasn't well. She had issues and… But I don't know about Dad. I was five years old but Mum said he died in a car crash. The rumours are that he crashed deliberately because he couldn't deal with me and my Mum. Well, mainly Mum, but I was a boisterous child and…"

"I'm sorry," Noll said robotically.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Mai asked in a hardened voice.

"No," Noll said. "We should do something."

"Like what?"

"Well I would suggest your homework but I feel it might be rather tactless, so perhaps something more light hearted."

"What do you want from us?" Mai asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Well, "Mai mumbled. "Like I said earlier, in the library. Um, you keep kissing me but is that all you want? I just… I just want to know where we stand." Her voice had become quieter and quieter so that by the end, she was barely audible.

Noll stared at her with piercing blue eyes. It was as if he was scrutinising her, like she was a criminal on trial for an awful crime.

Then he said something that with an expression that was the closest thing to fear Mai thought she had ever seen on his face.

"I don't know."

Mai made eye contact and studied him in return. His eyes were wide and almost vulnerable.

"How about cards?" she suggested gently.

Noll responded only with a slight smile.

* * *

 **Author's note: So I have half a chapter of Poor Unfortunate Souls written and I will try my best to update that soon but OMG placements are so damn tiring and there just isn't enough hours in the day...**

 **AHOAD is now being put back til Thursday thanks to my lovely guest reviewers!**

 **As for the awards idea, I might try and set it up at the weekend? So watch this space!**

 **Also, another suggestion was to have themed weeks (like in the Fairy Tail fandom). So we'd have something like Fluff week or Angst week or Naru x Mai week, and then for each day there would be a prompt. Then everyone would write things for each prompt and post them and share them and it'd be great! If people are up for that too, please let me know in your review!**

 **And finally, I would like to leave you with the mental image of Noll in a fluffy pink dressing gown *snigger* I couldn't help myself...**

 **Please review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

They played cards quietly as the dryer rumbled from the kitchen. Neither were playing particularly attentively, but neither of them really cared.

As Noll placed a winning hand down, the dryer came to a finish.

"I'll just-" Mai began, but Noll held up a hand to stop her.

"I'll do it."

She watched him check his clothes.

"Are they dry? You can put it on longer if they need it," Mai said.

"They're dry," he replied. He bundled his clothes up and Mai followed him with her eyes as he retreated to her bedroom to change. She tried to imprint the image of him in the pink dressing gown in her mind.

Mai packed away the cards and pulled her school planner out of her school bag. She had French, English, maths and biology homework to do.

But she didn't really want to do them.

What she wanted was an answer to her earlier question: what did Noll want from 'them'?

In truth, she quite liked kissing him. Mai felt her cheeks flush at the mere idea. But kissing Noll was oddly relaxing and exciting all at the same time.

Yet, she wanted to be his friend too. But how was a romantic relationship different to being good friends with kissing?

Perhaps, she thought, that it was the labels of 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' that Noll was confused about. She wasn't entirely sure if he had anyone that he would label as a 'friend'. The only person that came close was Gene, but they were brothers, so it was different.

Noll returned a minute later dressed in his completely dry school uniform.

"What are we starting with?" he asked, taking a seat.

"Biology shouldn't take long," Mai mumbled in reply. "Aren't you going to do your own homework?"

"I could," he said.

Mai frowned at him. He sighed and pulled out some of his own homework. Mai opened up her Biology workbook and together, they began to work.

Once Mai had completed her maths homework, she sat back and watched Noll for a moment. His hand was writing in an effortlessly neat script. He barely paused in relentlessly filling the page with mathematical symbols and equations.

"Why don't you start cooking tea instead of staring at me?" he suggested without looking up.

Mai scowled, but complied. Her own stomach was starting to indicate that she was going to be hungry soon.

"Do you and Gene have the same handwriting?" she asked as she filled a pan with water.

"No, why would we?"

"Well you switch lessons…"

"Come here, I'll show you."

Mai placed the pan on the hob and then moved over to the table. Noll took a piece of scrap paper and began writing.

 _Hello Mai!_

He had written in his usual tidy calligraphy. Noll then switched the pen to his left hand and rewrote the phrase in a larger and loopier script.

"Gene is left handed," he explained.

"Oh," Mai said with dawning comprehension. "That's really cool!"

Noll smirked at her words before continuing his homework. Mai returned to the hob and added pasta and frozen veg to the pan.

"You've made a mistake," Noll's voice said from behind her. Mai spun around to see him examining her maths homework.

"Huh?"

"Nine minus two is seven, not eleven."

"What? Where?" Mai took the sheet from him and look down her answers. "Oh bugger."

"Stupid mistakes like that are common for scatter-brained idiots."

"I got the difficult bit right though!"

"Inequalities are hardly taxing."

"Oh shut up."

Noll rolled his eyes.

Mai corrected her answer and shoved her things back into her bag.

"Might I borrow your laptop?" Noll asked. Mai replied with questioning look. "Part of my psychology homework is to read a paper, it won't take long."

Mai retrieved her laptop, opened it up and typed in her password. She slid the device towards Noll and he began typing. Mai returned to the kitchen and stirred the food.

"Well…" Noll muttered a few minutes later. "I certainly did not expect you to read such things."

"Huh?" Mai looked around in alarm. "What are…?" She hurried around to stand being Noll. Her mouth fell open in horror. The Hak x Yona smutty, lemon-filled fanfiction she had been planning to read that night was still open from when she found it before breakfast.

"This is awfully graphic," Noll commented dryly.

Mai's mouth made as if she was going to protest, but then closed. She knew her face was flushed.

"I know you said you're friends teased you for being inexperienced, but I doubt reading such things will help you much."

Mai's mouth opened, closed, opened again and then closed in a pout.

"I didn't know that it contained inappropriate things…" she attempted weakly.

"If you didn't know what it contained, why do you look so embarrassed?"

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Mai, you could give a tomato a run for its money," Noll said with a smirk. Mai stalked back to the pan and checked the pasta. It wasn't quite done yet. "Though I could comment on the inaccuracies in this piece," he added conversationally.

"It's fanfiction!" Mai protested. "You have to suspend reality a little bit!"

"I was referring to the sex scene," Noll said. "No guy is going to cum twice that quickly."

"I don't want to know that," Mai squealed, covering her ears.

"So you will happily read porn, but you won't discuss it?"

"Not with you!"

"Why not?" Noll asked, knowing full well that if he continued down this path, Mai's head would likely explode from embarrassment.

"Because!"

She turned around and stirred the pasta and vegetables. It didn't really need stirring, but Mai needed something to do.

"And despite the fact that you read such adult things, you don't understand the connotations of thigh high socks," Noll said from directly behind her. Mai turned and looked up at him.

"You don't mean…" If she had been red-faced before, it was nothing to the shade her cheeks had become now. "You are such a pervert!"

"Excuse me?" Noll raised an eyebrow at her.

"Thats so…" Mai struggled for a word bad enough. "Creepy!"

"How is it creepy?"

"Because it's like oversexualised sailor suit school uniform perverted!"

"The pasta is done," Noll said, ignoring Mai's comment.

"Don't avoid the subject!" Mai retorted triumphantly. "You only change the subject when you're loosing!"

"I don't see a problem in being attracted to such things."

"Because it's-"

"I am a school boy. Girls of the same age as me, i.e. those that I would be attracted to, would also be wearing school uniform. I don't see an issue."

Mai scowled at him. How was she supposed to counter that?

She couldn't. Instead, she drained the pasta before tipping it back into the pan and adding the sauce. Mai ignored Noll as she tipped half the food onto a plate and retrieved the cheese grater from the cupboard.

"Do you want cheese?" she asked as she took it from the fridge. He nodded and she passed it to him. A few minutes later they were sat at the table, eating in silence. Mai chose to break that silence. "What happened to you acting oddly in front of your brother?"

"I had other things on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact you were missing," Noll replied shortly.

This stumped Mai. It was hardly an opening to a conversation. But as if he had read her thoughts, he posed his own question.

"Why do you call me Oliver?"

"Because it's your name?"

"Almost everyone else calls me Noll."

"Yeah?" Mai frowned.

"You don't."

"Well it's your nickname. I can't just use a nickname that I'm not privy too."

"I don't care if you do," Noll said.

"Okay," Mai said with a slight smile. She took another bite of her food. She swallowed and then blurted, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Calling you a pervert," Mai said. Noll didn't respond. "I don't really think you are, I was just…"

"Surprised?" Noll supplied. Mai nodded.

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Who…?" Mai mumbled as she got up from the table.

She opened the door to reveal Gene.

"What are you doing here?" Noll asked tersely.

"You failed to mention to Mum that you wouldn't be coming home. She was worried," Gene said. "I told her that your phone rang out of battery and that I was going to pick you up."

"So why are you here now?" Mai asked.

"It's almost 10pm," Gene pointed out. "Mum wanted you home," he added to Noll.

"Can he at least finish eating?"

"I suppose," Gene said reluctantly. "May I come in?"

Mai stood aside and Gene entered the apartment. Mai shut the door and returned to her dinner.

"I would offer you some food but…" she trailed off apologetically.

"It's fine, I've already eaten," Gene said as he took a seat next to his brother. "You two been having fun?"

"If you can call homework fun," Mai muttered.

"You've been doing homework?" Gene asked incredulously. "Really?"

"Of course! We've got literally no time after school for the next few days!"

"Mai, we have exemption from handing in work because of the play," Gene revealed.

"What?"

"Is that true?" Noll asked. Gene nodded. "Mai, you're an idiot."

Mai scowled at him.

"You said that you were going to kiss me everytime I did something idiotic," she pointed out. Noll did not blush, but his body tensed slightly.

"Is this true?" Gene looked ecstatic.

"Well thats the excuse he's been using." Mai had a smugly satisfied look on her face.

"Mai, do you own a magnifying glass?" Gene asked.

"No, why?"

"Well I think he's almost blushing. I wanted to check."

"Would you like me to share with Gene the porn you've been reading?" Noll replied venomously.

"He's probably already read it," Mai said offhandedly. "Masako suggested it."

"I've finished," Noll said. He pushed his plate away from him and shoved his stuff back into his bag. "Let's go," he added to Gene.

"Noll don't be so petty." Gene rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't matter," Mai said. She took the plate and began washing up. "I'll see you tomorrow, shut the door behind you."

Behind her, Gene headed for the door. But Noll paused.

"Mai, I-"

"Just go Oliver, it doesn't matter."

She heard the door close. Mai sighed.

There had just been too many emotions in one day. Turning off the tap, she decided to finish the washing up in the morning. It wasn't like anyone was going to nag her about it.

As she climbed into bed fifteen minutes later, she turned off the light and stared up at the ceiling.

"Everything will be better tomorrow," she whispered softly.

If only she knew how wrong she was.

* * *

The following day, Noll strode out of Miss Mori's office having just signed up to assist with the production. She had been honestly shocked when he revealed Gene had had nothing to do with his decision.

He headed towards the Sixth Form common room as break was about to end and he had a free period next.

"Noll!" a shout came from down the corridor. Noll turned to see Yasuhara and a group of girls walking his way.

"Yes?"

"With regards to the issue you brought up yesterday, I think you ought to speak to these young ladies," Yasuhara said as they got close enough.

"They wrote the letter?"

"Yes," Yasuhara said sternly. "I hoped that you could clear up the matter for them." Yasuhara leant in and whispered, "they don't seem to want to listen to anyone else about this."

Noll sighed.

"Fine," he said. If talking to these girls got them to leave Mai alone, then so be it. Yasuhara nodded his thanks and walked off. He turned and faced the three girls. "Why did you do it?"

"So she'd stop bugging you!" The shortest of the three girls stepped forward slightly, Noll took her to be their 'leader' so to speak. "I know exactly how annoying she can be!"

"And calling her a - and I quote - 'disgusting skank whore' was qualified how?"

The short girl rolled her eyes.

"Because she's been throwing herself at you and batting her eyelids at you like some slut!" the girl said with a sneer. Noll took a deep breath. It was infuriating.

"Look," he began, deciding that appearing to agree with these imbeciles was probably going to be the best course of action in order to get what he wanted. There was no point lecturing to pigs after all. "Mai is just an idiotic Year 11 that I am tutoring so she doesn't fail and so I have something to put on my personal statement. I am completely unaffected by any attempts by her to 'throw herself at me' as you put it," he lied with ease.

"Thats all?" The girls had initially looked taken aback but his words, but their expressions had quickly grown into smirks. "She means nothing to you?"

"Nothing at all."

The short girl looked past Oliver and grinned.

"I told you Mai, didn't I? He doesn't want anything to do with you."

Noll frowned, then spun to see Mai standing a few paces away. Her face was completely blank. She nodded slowly.

"Mai," Noll began with no idea what he was going to say next.

"Don't," she ordered calmly. "I won't need you to 'tutor me' any more." The girls were withholding sniggers. "Do you girls want to know what he wants in a girl?" she added. They froze, obviously interested. Mai spoke directly to them, ignoring Noll. "He likes girls that he can bully. That he can degrade and put down because he's so damn insecure that everyone likes Gene better. So if you have no self respect, keep going after him. But I promise you, you can do better." And with that, Mai turned on her heel and started walking away before turning back for a moment. "Oh, and he has a thing for thigh high socks."

Noll stood there frozen as she strode down the corridor. He knew he had to go and explain why he said those things, but his feet weren't moving. He noted she was wearing ordinary tights.

"What a weirdo," one of the girls said. They moved away, frowning over the incident.

But Mai was gone.

And somehow Noll knew that something had broken between them.

Only when the bell went did Noll's feet begin to move again. They carried him to the common room where he sank into a chair in the corner and stared out of the window.

"How did it go?" Yasuhara asked. Noll had not noticed him approach.

"Everything will be fine now," he replied quietly. Mai would be safe from those girls' wroth. Even if that meant she was no longer speaking to him.

"Great!"

Noll watched Yasuhara go, and then returned to staring out of the window.

* * *

 **Author's note: So on Wednesday, I bought tickets to Japan. Yesterday I bought tickets to Portugal. In the next few days I might be buying tickets to Poland and Vienna... So much travel!**

 **I have made a forum detailing the themed writing week, the link is on my profile! So please check it out! Don't hesitate to ask me anything about it! I want as many people to participate as possible!**

 **I'm seriously so close to just deleting the whole of AHOAD. I tried to write it yesterday and just couldn't do it. I ended up writing this instead...**

 **Please review :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Noll had hoped he might have a chance to explain to Mai at the rehearsal, but there was no time. Miss Mori had them running around constantly. Mai was leading the backstage crew, but she had no time to consider personal matters.

She spoke to him in a business-like manner and gave no indication that they had ever done anything other than pass each other in the corridors.

Noll attempted to speak with her after the rehearsal, but Gene got in the way.

"Noll, are you coming?"

He turned to see his brother walking towards him, but when he turned back to Mai, she had already walked away.

"Damn," he muttered.

"What's up?" Gene asked, frowning between his twin and the retreating figure he knew was Mai. "She's not wearing the socks," he added.

"She's not playing your games anymore."

"What's happened?"

But Noll did not answer. He walked towards the car and took the driver's seat. Gene climbed in beside him.

"Noll," Gene began, but Noll interrupted.

"It's none of your business."

"Mai is my friend too, if you have upset her, it is my business."

Noll started the car and began driving. Gene did not say anything, but he didn't need too. He knew Noll would speak again.

"The whole thing was a mistake."

"No it wasn't," Gene contradicted. "You like her, and she likes you."

"She doesn't anymore," Noll said.

"What did you do?"

"I got rid of the girls that wrote that letter," Noll explained.

"How did that upset Mai?" Gene asked when Noll did not go on.

"I told those girls a lie that they would accept."

"And?"

"And Mai overheard," Noll admitted. "She thought I was serious."

"And you didn't correct this opinion?"

"Well I was going to but someone interrupted," Noll hissed.

"Drive to Mai's now," Gene said. "We have to get this sorted."

"No," Noll refused. "It's better this way."

"How? Now you're both miserable!" Gene exclaimed.

"She'll get over it."

Neither twin spoke for the rest of the journey.

Noll parked and the two brothers climbed out of the car. He let them both in and Noll headed straight towards his bedroom.

"You're being an idiot," Gene said. Noll relentlessly continued up the stairs, knowing his brother to be right.

* * *

The following day, Gene attempted several times to talk to Mai about Noll. But every time he brought the matter up, Mai would turn stony and refuse to talk any further.

"Mai, please," Gene begged once again. It was about half an hour before the first performance was due to start.

"No," Mai refused. "If he has something to say to me, he can do it himself. So just stop. Stop protecting him."

"He's my little brother, it's my job."

"Well he doesn't deserve you," Mai muttered as she turned on her heel and headed over to where Masako was helping some of the other girls with their stage makeup.

Noll entered the backstage area where the performers were preparing and spotted his brother. Gene was standing with his arms crossed and staring angrily at Mai's retreating figure.

"You haven't done your makeup," Noll commented.

"I know," Gene said. His expression softened slightly as he turned to his twin. "You need to fix this Noll, she's unhappy."

Noll didn't say anything for a while. Both twins watched the pair of girls helping others with their makeup and costumes. Masako was tutting about the quality of some of the chorus' costumes and Mai was laughing with a younger student over some joke neither twin could hear.

"I'm going to help Lin," Noll said finally. Gene watched his twin go before starting to get ready.

* * *

The first performance went without a hitch, and though the audience was small for the opening night - it always was – the crowd applauded loudly.

Everything was set for a run of great performances, but on Friday night when Mai arrived at the school Miss Mori was in a slight panic. 'Slight' being an understatement.

"Mai! I need your help desperately!" The pink haired woman was frantic.

"What is it Miss Mori?" Mai asked politely, trying not to look too worried.

Miss Mori pulled her to one side and began whispering conspiratorially.

"I screwed up," she confessed. "I promised a friend I would babysit for her weeks ago and I got all the weeks mixed up and her kid is backstage playing with Masako. But Masako can't keep playing with her because she needs to perform and please could you keep an eye on her," she begged.

"Of course," Mai agreed. How could she not?

"Thank you so much," Miss Mori gushed. "I will pay you for your time."

"Miss Mori! What are we doing about this rip?" a shout came from the other hall.

Miss Mori rushed off without a second glance to Mai, who made her way through to the backstage area where a small child was 'helping' Masako with the stage makeup.

"Hello," Mai greeted her friend.

"Are you looking after her?" Masako nodded her head towards the young girl.

"Miss Mori asked me to, yeah," Mai admitted. She knelt down next to the girl, who was brushing her own face with blusher. "What's your name?"

"Annie," the young girl replied.

"My name is Mai, how old are you?"

"Five," she said as she held up five fingers. "But I'm almost six!" Mai smiled.

"Miss Mori said you were going to help me out this evening, is that okay?"

"Are we doing makeup?"

"That's what we are starting with," Mai agreed. "Are you good at makeup?"

"Yes!" Annie stated boldly. She waved a large makeup brush to prove her point.

"Excellent, well you can start on…" Mai looked around. Fortunately, Gene and Noll had entered at that precise moment. Mai grinned wickedly, which caused Masako to look around. Masako, foreseeing what Mai planned to do, grinned also. "Oi! You two!"

The twins spotted Mai, and headed her way as she waved them over.

"They look the same!" Annie gasped. "Why are they the same?"

"They are twins," Mai explained. "So they were born at the same time."

"Wow!"

"What is it Mai?" Gene asked. "Who's that?"

"This is Annie," Mai explained. "I thought I'd do your makeup, and Annie could do his." Mai nodded her head towards Noll. Gene withheld a smirk with difficulty.

"Sounds like a great plan!" Gene agreed. He grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him to the floor.

"I'd really rather-" Noll began.

"Not make another girl cry?" Mai suggested. She smiled politely at him and he scowled. Turning to Annie, she asked "What's your favourite colour?"

"Purple!"

Mai handed her the purple eyeshadow.

"Go on then," she said, gesturing towards Noll. As Mai began applying foundation to Gene's face, she added "He's quite ugly, so you'll probably need quite a lot of that."

Annie giggled and set to work.

Masako was refusing to look in their direction for fear of bursting out laughing.

"He's going to murder you," Gene whispered.

"Just make sure we get a picture," Mai replied quietly.

By the time Annie was finished, Noll resembled a purple circus clown. But no amount of makeup hid the scowl on his face.

"Mai, he's just too ugly," Annie complained. "I can't do it!" She threw her hands up in the air dramatically and sighed. Mai wondered if Miss Mori had had a greater role in bringing up this child than she'd previously been led to believe.

"Well I think you've done a great job," Gene said. He was now in costume and helping a few others.

"What do we do now?" Annie asked.

"Well we need to check that everyone is ready," Mai said.

"Why isn't he in a costume?" She pointed at Noll, who was still scowling.

"Well, he's helping out backstage, so he doesn't need one."

"Then why did I do his makeup?" Annie asked with a frown.

"Well, because as you rightly said, he's so ugly. I thought only someone as good as you could improve it, but I think he's a lost cause."

Annie giggled and took Mai's hand as they checked on all the other participants.

As the performance began, Annie followed Mai around and helped where she could. Mostly, she was just holding things for Mai, like her copy of the script.

However, by halftime, Annie was starting to get tired.

"If you want to have a nap, it's okay," Mai said kindly.

"I want to go home," Annie mumbled.

"Well it's almost home time," Mai lied. "Come on, we'll make a bed for you and you can have a little rest, okay?"

Annie yawned as Mai picked her up and carried her through to the room in which they had all dumped their stuff. She grabbed her jacket and the twins' to make a makeshift bed for Annie, who curled up gratefully.

"You won't go anywhere will you?" she asked sleepily.

"Not far, no, I might just go and check on everyone else, but you'll be safe here."

Annie nodded with closed eyes.

Mai was true to her word as the second half began. She left the room only to ensure that everyone was where they were supposed to be before darting back to check on Annie.

As the finale drew closer, Mai was forced to spend more time away from the back room.

So she completely shocked to find that Annie had woken when she finally returned after the finale. And even more shocked to find that she was accompanied by none other than Noll.

She watched the duo from the doorway, Noll – who had at some point removed the makeup – had a 50p coin in his hands and was wiggling it about, but Mai couldn't hear what he was saying.

Curious, she tiptoed closer until she could hear what was going on. She noticed that as Noll wiggled the coin, a voice spoke and yet his mouth did not move.

"Do it again!" Annie begged with a giggle. Then she spotted Mai. "Mai! Come see what Noll can do!"

Somewhat reluctantly, Mai joined them and allowed Noll to demonstrate.

"Hello Mai," the coin said.

"It's magic Mai!" Annie squealed. "And he made it disappear a minute ago and then it was behind my ear!" The young girl was practically bouncing, all hints of tiredness gone. "Show her!" she demanded of Noll.

He flicked the coin into the air, but it did not crash to the floor as Mai had expected. Instead, Noll reached behind her ear and drew the 50p out into the open.

"Impressive," Mai said, more for Annie's benefit than Noll's.

"See, it's magic!"

"Well it's time for you to go home now," Mai said.

"But I wanna see more magic!" Annie protested with a pout.

"Maybe next time," Noll said. He held out the 50p for her to take. She examined it closely before clamping it in her fist.

Mai stood up and took Annie's hand.

"Thank you for looking after her," she said to Noll.

"No problem."

Mai led Annie back to Miss Mori, who was speaking to some members of the audience.

"Annie!" Miss Mori exclaimed. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes! Mai let me do makeup and help and Noll showed me his magic!"

"She was very helpful," Mai agreed. Miss Mori picked Annie up.

"We should get you home," she said. "Do you need a lift Mai?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind!" Miss Mori insisted.

"No I'm –"

"She's coming with us," Gene's voice insisted from behind Mai. She spun around to see him standing with Masako, ready to go.

"Not if you're driving, I'm not!"

"Noll will drive then," Gene said as he rolled his eyes.

"Well then," Miss Mori said. "I will see you all tomorrow!"

Mai waved goodbye to Annie before joining Gene and Masako. Noll appeared a moment later holding Mai's jacket.

"Thanks," Mai mumbled as she took it.

"Let's go," Gene said cheerfully.

* * *

The following day, Gene and Masako left the restaurant where they had had a late lunch and began walking towards the school. The Saturday performance started earlier than the first two so there was time to clear up everything afterwards. As a result, everyone was expected to arrive earlier.

"So what is happening about this prank war?" Masako asked as they walked together.

"Well the change in tea seemed to have no effect," Gene replied. "But we can resume everything tomorrow if need be. I'm guessing Mai hasn't asked him to prom yet?"

"Of course not," Masako scoffed. "I wouldn't expect her to after what he did on Wednesday."

"True, maybe they'll make up at tonight's after party," Gene mused.

"Noll is coming?"

"He will be if he finds out there's a good chance of someone else hitting on Mai during it," Gene pointed out. "He'll grumble about it and sit in the corner and sulk, but he'll come."

What happened next happened very fast.

Gene turned to cross the road.

He stepped out.

He saw a flash of red.

He heard a scream.

And then everything went black.

* * *

 **Author's note: This is fluff, I promise! Please review :)**


	12. Chapter 12

"Noll? Where are you?" Masako asked with Gene's phone to her ear.

"The town library, why do you have Gene's phone?" Noll replied.

"Because the doctors told me to contact Gene's next of kin and I thought you'd be a better person to call than Luella," Masako mumbled. She was outside Gene's room.

"What's happened?" he demanded. Masako flinched unconsciously at the tone of his voice.

"They think he's going to be fine, but…" Masako trailed off.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

But he arrived in eighteen. Masako had been allowed inside and was sitting beside Gene's bed. Noll burst into the room to find his twin chatting animatedly with one of the young nurses who had brought him some food.

"What happened?"

"Noll! You came!" Gene cried happily.

"Of course I came, Masako made it sound serious. What happened?" Noll repeated his question.

"Might've been slightly run over," Gene replied awkwardly as the nurse left the room.

"How can someone be 'slightly run over'?" Noll asked, glaring at his brother.

"He walked out into the road without looking and was hit by a car," Masako explained. "But the woman was only going like twenty miles an hour because she'd only just turned onto the road so…"

"You idiot."

Gene only grinned.

"It was just a mild concussion and," he paused to pull back the covers from his lower half. "A broken leg." Noll sighed heavily.

"You know, when people tell actors to 'break a leg', they do not mean it literally," he growled in exasperation.

"Yes, well, about that…" Gene began.

"No," Noll said immediately.

"I haven't even asked anything yet!"

"I know what you are going to ask and the answer is no."

"Noll! There's no way I can go on stage like this!"

"You should have an understudy then," Noll said.

"I do! You're my understudy!" Gene replied.

"I never agreed to that," Noll hissed. "And I've read that script and there's no way in hell that I am kissing Masako."

"Cheers," Masako muttered darkly.

"You're dating my brother," Noll said by way of an explanation.

"Well I'm only going out with him for his looks so it doesn't matter to me," Masako teased.

"Hey!" Gene protested and Masako giggled.

"If you two have finished flirting," Noll said.

"Mai can do it," Masako suggested.

"No," Noll insisted. "Not when…"

"We will just pretend you are me," Gene said. "We won't tell anyone, not even mum and dad? And especially not Miss Mori, she'd never agree to it."

"I don't want her kissing me especially if she thinks I'm you."

"Bloody hell Noll, it's not like she'd be doing it because she wants to."

"Besides," Masako cut in. "I've already told her that I'm not feeling well and that she's performing tonight."

Noll glared between the couple.

"I'm not taking any of your French lessons for the rest of the year," Noll said to Gene, who beamed at his twin. "Give me your bag."

Masako reached down to Gene's bag, which was beside the bed, and pulled it towards Noll, who snatched it from her.

"What are you two going to do?" Noll asked. "When can you be released?"

"They want me to stay in overnight for observation because of the concussion, but I can come home tomorrow if everything's okay."

"What are telling our parents? They are watching today."

"Well they are expecting us both to go to the after party, aren't they?" Gene said. "So I reckon we can get away with not telling them until tomorrow. And soon as they are watching, please make me look good!"

"Give me his phone," Noll commanded and Masako handed over Gene's mobile. "I will keep them at bay somehow." He ran a hand through his hair. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought you'd done this on purpose."

"Me? Get run over and sent to hospital on purpose just so you could kiss your beloved Mai again?" Gene said in mock hurt. "You wound me."

"Look after him," Noll told Masako as he made his way to the door.

"Thanks Noll!" Gene called after his retreating brother. Noll sent Gene one final glare before sweeping from the room.

"You didn't do this on purpose did you?" Masako asked when Noll was out of sight.

"Of course not! But you have to admit, it's not the worst thing that could have happened!" Gene replied honestly. "I mean, I could have died and been dumped in a lake somewhere!"

"Stop being dramatic," Masako chided and Gene giggled.

* * *

When Noll arrived at the school, he hitched Gene's smile onto his face. It was going to be a long evening.

"Gene!" Yasuhara called. "How come you're so late? Where's Noll?"

"Noll can't come. Did you hear about Masako?" Noll asked, deviating from Yasuhara's original question.

"Yeah, Mai mentioned she wasn't feeling well. Are you okay with performing with Mai?"

"Of course," Noll replied in Gene's cheerful tone. "How long do we have?"

"About an hour, but Takigawa wants to do warm ups as soon as everyone's ready," Yasuhara told him. "So get a wriggle on!"

"Gene?" Mai's voice said from the doorway. "Can I have a word before we start?"

"See you," Noll muttered to Yasuhara and he hurried to join Mai. She narrowed her eyes slightly as he drew closer. "What's up?"

"Come with me," she said, her face returning to its usual cheerful self.

Noll let Mai led him to one of the smaller music rooms. She closed the door behind them before rounding on Noll.

"Why are you pretending to be Gene?" she demanded with crossed arms.

"I don't know what you mean," Noll replied with a convincing look of confusion.

"I can tell you apart."

"Then you'd know I'm Gene," Noll said with a bemused smile. Though inside, he was somewhat concerned. No one had ever been able to tell him and Gene apart if they didn't want it to be so, had his acting ability depleted so much?

"Whose idea was this?" Mai continued, looking bored. Noll gave the game up.

"Gene's in hospital with a broken leg."

"What?"

"You heard me the first time," Noll replied, dropping Gene's air of happiness and reverting to his own reactions.

"What happened?"

"He walked into oncoming traffic."

"And Masako is with him?" Mai asked. Noll nodded in reply. "And you're here to take his place…" she finished, more to herself than anyone else. Then she giggled.

"What?"

"Oh," she mumbled, looking up in surprise as if she'd forgotten Noll was there. "I was just thinking what I could write on his cast."

Noll raised an eyebrow at her and for a moment, she wanted to giggle again. For just a moment, it was like everything was back to how it had been before…

"Are you okay with doing this?" Noll asked quietly.

"The show must go on," Mai replied quickly. "I won't ruin this for everyone else, no matter how much of an arse you are."

"Look, Mai," Noll began awkwardly. Mai, who had made to walk out of the room, paused at the sound of uncertainty in his voice. "I was trying to-"

"You two really need to hurry up," Yasuhara said as he entered the room. "Is everything okay?"

Noll immediately hitched Gene's smile back onto his face.

"Of course it is!" he said with a grin. "I was just reassuring Mai, she's a little nervous." He gave Mai's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I should go and get changed, thanks Gene."

She hurried past Yasuhara, who watched her go.

"She's still upset about Noll huh?" Yasuhara muttered to Noll.

"Yes," Noll agreed.

"It doesn't help that you look just like him either I guess."

"Probably not," Noll said. "But the show must go on."

He walked past Yasuhara and headed to where he knew the costumes to be stored.

* * *

Considering that Noll had read the script twice and only seen about eighty percent the technical dress rehearsal, he felt the first half went very well.

Or rather, no one twigged that he wasn't Gene.

He had watched Mai from the wings as she performed. After her first scene, in which she was visibly nervous, Mai's confidence rose and towards the end of the first half, she was performing as well as Masako ever could.

Noll found it interesting that despite the fact they both had the same script for the same character, Mai and Masako had brought entirely different focuses to the role.

"Gene, can I have a word?"

Noll spun around to see Mai, already changed for the second half.

"Sure," Noll said with Gene's smile. She dragged him to yet another empty music room and shut the door behind them.

"What are we doing about the kiss?" she asked quickly and quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well everyone thinks you are Gene. If I go about kissing Masako's boyfriend," Mai explained. "Everyone already thinks I'm a slut."

"I don't."

Mai rolled her eyes.

"Look, just make it a quick one okay?"

"Fine," Noll agreed. "Are you going to the after party?"

"Does it matter to you if I am?" Mai replied testily.

"Well Gene is in hospital overnight, I cannot return home so as not to raise suspicions about his whereabouts."

"Your parents don't know?"

"No," Noll admitted. "My mother would tell Miss Mori and she'd never agree to me being on the stage."

"So you, Oliver Davis, is going to go the after party." Mai looked as if she was going to laugh. "The girls would have a field day; no doubt they'd all love to get you drunk."

"Mai, earlier I tried to-"

The door burst open and it took all of Noll's willpower not to growl at the intruder.

"You two really need to stop hiding in music rooms," Yasuhara mused.

"What do you want?" Mai asked.

"Did I walk into something?"

"I was trying to explain that-" Noll began again, but he was interrupted by Mai.

"He was trying to convince me that Noll isn't an arse and that I should give him a second chance," she finished for him. "But it isn't going to work."

"Mai, maybe you should listen to what he has to say," Yasuhara suggested gently.

"No, it's pathetic, don't you think?" Mai asked of Yasuhara. "He gets his brother to do his apologies for him."

"Well, we all know Noll has an issue with expressing himself," Yasuhara pointed out.

"He doesn't have an issue," Noll said defensively. "He just doesn't go around shouting about everything."

"You protect him too much Gene," Yasuhara said.

"He was trying to protect Mai!" Noll burst out. "He just didn't think it all through because he's an idiot."

"Yes," Mai agreed viciously. "He is an idiot." She threw Noll a dirty look and swept from the room.

"Why do I get the feeling you two know something I don't?" Yasuhara asked.

"No idea," Noll commented dryly. "I need to change."

* * *

As Mai requested, Noll gave her the gentlest of kisses as the song drew to an end and the audience applauded. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the gesture, but wasn't sure if he'd managed the intended effect. He wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking or an after effect of singing, but Mai did seem a little breathless after it.

But after the performance had ended, it was Yasuhara that dragged him and Mai into a music room this time.

"Now what?" Mai said huffily. It was quite clear to Noll that she'd had enough of this entire façade.

"What on earth is going on?" Yasuhara demanded. "No way in hell Gene would you kiss a girl like that that wasn't Masako. I don't care how good an actor you are."

Mai rolled her eyes.

"Gene is in hospital with a broken leg and Masako is with him," she said. Noll shot her daggers. "What? He was going to figure it out eventually."

"You can't tell anyone, not Miss Mori and definitely not my parents," Noll insisted of Yasuhara, who looked somewhat bewildered.

"Why not?" Mai asked. "It's over now?"

"Because my parents will skin me alive for not telling them Gene is in hospital."

"You aren't really doing a lot to convince me right now," Mai muttered darkly. "But then again I am 'just an idiotic Year 11 that means nothing to him', so I don't expect too much."

Mai began to storm out of the room, but Noll blocked her path.

"Mai, wait," he started.

"I won't tell your parents!" She threw her arms into the air in defeat. "I just want to go home." She ducked under his arm and continued towards the door. He spun around.

"Mai, I'm sorry!"

Yasuhara watched, slightly stunned, as Mai turned back towards Noll.

"What for, exactly?"

"I don't care what those girls think. I wanted them to leave you alone," he explained. "And I thought saying those things would be the best way to do it."

"If you don't care what they think, why does it matter what you told them?" Mai asked quietly. "You could have told them the truth… But what is the truth?"

"What do you mean?" Noll asked with a frown.

"If you had told those girls the truth, what would you have said?"

Yasuhara deeply wished he had some popcorn, but figured that leaving right now might interrupt the moment.

"I…" Noll faltered, and then gulped. "I appreciate your company," he said finally.

"Appreciate," Mai repeated. Noll hated the way her voice made the word sound so wrong.

"I do not mean for my words to sound so detached."

"Well I'd appreciate it if you reigned in your damned pride once in a while and actually tell people what you really think and how you really feel."

And with that, she left the room.

"You know, she has a point," Yasuhara said.

Noll had forgotten he was in the room. Sighing, he left also, picking up Gene's bag on his way out.

As he made his way through the reception area, he noticed his parents waiting for him with worried looks on their faces.

"Noll? Why is Gene in hospital?" Luella asked.

Noll looked around and saw a short haired brunette leaving at the opposite end of the reception. Damn her.

* * *

 **Author's note: And you all thought I'd killed Gene... What do you take me for? Some sort of merciless angst writer?**

 **So on Tuesday, I had the first haircut I'd had in six and a half years. And yesterday the post-doc said he was going to upload my code to the LHCb at CERN.**

 **I'm not sure I liked where this ended, but ah well... I really ought to write some other things... Like my entries for Fluff Week! I've planned out my ideas now, and my idea for the 'Lessons' prompt is so much better than my original idea for it... I just hope I manage to write it well enough!**

 **Please review :)**


	13. Chapter 13

When Mai heard a knock on her front door on Sunday morning, she honestly had no idea who it was going to be. So when she opened the door, she was utterly shocked to see Noll standing before her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, completely forgetting that she was annoyed with him.

"I speaking to you," he replied.

"But aren't you in trouble? With your parents? About Gene?" Mai spluttered.

"No," Noll said. "My mother was more concerned about why Gene was in hospital and whether he would recover. They're going to pick him up now and I expect they'll lecture him about worrying them. But she'll never stay angry at him."

"And she's not angry at you?"

"I don't think she expects any different from me," Noll said. "Besides, you said you wouldn't tell my parents."

"I lied," Mai said with a scowl. They were still stood in the doorway.

"What do you want?"

"To give you this," he said and held out his hand. He had an envelope clasped in his fingers.

"What is it?" Mai asked tentatively. "And who from?"

"A letter from me," Noll replied sarcastically.

"You know, I can just shut this door in your face," Mai pointed out. Noll rolled his eyes.

"Take it," he insisted.

"No," Mai said. "Read it to me."

"May I come in?"

"If you must," Mai said as she stood aside. Noll stepped inside. "Please, make yourself at home. Do you want tea?"

Noll nodded. He watched her boil the kettle, find tea bags and pour the water. A few minutes later, he was rewarded with a steaming mug of black tea.

"I want you to know before you start," Mai began. "That if you start of by quoting Pride and Prejudice or some other romance novel at me, I will hit you."

"Excuse me?"

"You know? Like 'in vain I have struggled!'" Mai recited dramatically. Noll silenced her with a look. "A girl can dream," she mumbled.

"I'm surprised you know the book that well," Noll commented with a smirk.

"Oh come on! It's like the most famous line from that book!"

"Hardly," Noll objected. "The opening is far more well-known!"

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune," Mai said.

"Must be in want of a wife," Noll finished. "But I don't want a wife; I want us to be on better terms again."

"Look, Oliver," Mai began.

"Call me Noll."

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't."

"Well then Ol-" But she paused at the look he was giving her. "Fine, Noll, I understand you don't shout about your emotions or whatever. I get that saying them out loud makes it a lot more real. And I know you're scared of getting hurt." Noll made to interrupt, but she raised a finger to prevent him speaking. "But I've lived alone for a long time. I don't have parents who love me." She paused for breath, but Noll did not say anything. "It hurt, what you said. To have someone I thought was a friend saying that I meant nothing to them, it hurt."

"It was a lie," Noll said quietly.

"I know," Mai said. She looked down at her cup of tea. "It still hurt. And…" She paused again. "I'm sorry for what I said after I heard you say it; I meant none of it really."

"I'm sorry Mai," Noll said.

"No more lies?" Mai offered.

"No more lies," Noll agreed. She gave him a small smile. He was about to return the smile, when his phone rang loudly. It broke the moment. He answered it. "Hello?"

Mai could just about hear the voice of Luella on the other end.

"Where are you?" she was demanding. "Did I not tell you that you were both grounded?" Noll sighed heavily. "Don't you sigh at me young man! Where are you? I have half a mind to confiscate your car keys."

"I'm in town," Noll replied.

"Well I want you back home right now. I need to give both you and Gene a good talking too."

"Fine, I will leave now."

Noll hung up.

"You are in trouble," Mai said with satisfaction.

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" Noll demanded suddenly. Mai blinked at him.

"What?" she stuttered.

"Yes, you heard that correctly," Noll said quickly. "I need an answer now as my mother wants me home."

"Um, okay."

"Good." Noll downed the rest of his tea and left the cup on the table. "Bye."

He headed straight for the door and left without another word. Mai frowned after him, then pinched herself very hard. It hurt.

Then there was another knock on the door. Utterly bamboozled, Mai answered it.

Noll was standing there once again.

"I forgot something," he said. Then kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I have to leave now, bye."

Mai watched him walk away and a sudden thought came to her, maybe she did have some sort of effect over him.

* * *

Luella's lecture was not as bad as it could've been.

Truth be told, Noll tuned out to most of it. He and his brother sat on the sofa as Luella paced in front of them ranting about responsibility and whatnot.

"Noll? Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm?" Noll looked up. His mother was glaring at him.

"You aren't even listening, what has got you so out of sorts?" she demanded.

"Mum, really? Where has he just come from?" Gene asked flippantly.

"Town," Luella replied.

"He's been at Mai's house," Gene explained. Noll had not told him this, but he supposed it wasn't too hard to guess. "Judging from the slightly shell shocked look on his face, they've stopped arguing and he finally asked her out. As he's not a brooding mess, I'm guessing she said yes."

"Is this true?" Luella turned back to Noll.

There was no point hiding it, he thought and nodded.

"Told you," Gene mumbled with a snigger.

"Oh Noll! This is wonderful!" Luella's previously furious face was now ecstatic. "And Mai is such a lovely girl! Oh! I'll have grandchildren yet!"

"Nice one," Gene muttered under his breath. "That's got her off our backs."

Noll began to roll his eyes, but was prevented from finishing said action by his mother swooping in to hug him tightly.

"I'm so happy for you!" she gushed. "I was convinced you'd be alone forever and now you've found someone!"

"Mother, I am seventeen," Noll pointed out. "It's hardly like I am past my prime."

"I'm going to have to find the video tapes! And the birthday photos!"

"Why?" Gene enquired.

"Well your no fun to embarrass, but I'm sure Noll would love to let me show Mai all the wonderful things he did when he was younger!"

Noll scowled.

"May I go to my room?"

"Yes, of course!" Luella was still beaming. "I must go and tell your father! Noll, be a dear and help your brother if he needs it."

Luella practically bounced out of the room.

Noll assisted Gene up to his own bedroom by carrying his bag as he hobbled ahead on his crutches.

As Noll made to leave Gene's room, his twin stopped him.

"You know Martin's going to give you the talk now?"

"What?"

"The talk?" Gene prompted. He made a movement with his head as if to suggest that it was obvious what he was talking about. "The sex talk?"

"Why?"

"He did it when I got my first girlfriend; he's bound to give it to you too!"

"You had your first girlfriend aged eleven."

"The talk was traumatising," Gene said, nodding.

"He won't do it," Noll said.

"I bet he will."

Noll closed Gene's bedroom door behind him and returned to his own room.

But he had barely opened his laptop when there was a knock on his door.

"Yes?"

"It's me," Martin's voice said. Noll mentally groaned.

"Come in."

Martin entered, closed the door and sat on Noll's bed. Noll turned to face his adoptive father with a stern look on his face.

"Your mother told me about Mai," he began. "I'm very happy for you." Noll did not say anything. "Look, Noll, I trust you not to do anything stupid."

"Good."

"But, I also understand that young people have a lot of hormones and…"

"I do not plan on having sex with Mai any time soon."

"Even still," Martin said, his face reddening. "If you want to do these things, your mother and I want you to know that we'd rather you did them here where you are safe. We don't want you doing things in some alley or…" Martin fell silent at the look on Noll's face.

"I appreciate what you are trying to say," Noll said.

"Well, good." Martin stood up with the air of extreme relief that the conversation was over. "I expect your mother will have forgotten about grounding you both by tomorrow, so go and see Mai, soon as it's the Easter holidays and all."

"Okay," Oliver agreed.

"And Noll?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm happy for you," Martin said from the doorway.

Noll nodded his thanks and his father left.

* * *

It was only after Noll had left that Mai realised that he had never read the mentioned letter out to her, but he had left it on the edge of the sofa.

She took it in slightly trembling fingers. Gingerly, she opened it and began to read.

 _Dear Mai,_

 _I have read that sometimes it can be best to write down things when trying to clarify the situation._

 _I apologise for my words on Wednesday. I had not had time to think through the repercussions of my actions and my only thought was to get those girls off your back. I did not intend for it to end up this way. You are not idiotic and you certainly mean a great deal to me._

 _You told me to shelve my pride and tell people how I really feel._

 _I care about you more than I can admit out loud. At the orphanage, admitted you cared for something often meant someone else would try to take it away from you. Despite having not lived there for almost ten years, this mentality has been hard to shake. I'm sure at some point you must have felt that it would be easier not to care, than to feel pain._

 _You have made me feel things that I have not felt before for anyone. Normally, I would shy from physical contact and yet I crave your touch. Usually, I would not partake in frivolous games, but with you they aren't so tedious._

 _I want for you to be happy Mai, and preferably, for me to be there to see you smile. If that means labelling my as your boyfriend, then so be it. I will ask you tomorrow, or later today as it is now several hours past midnight._

 _You have my apologies for my inability to say these things aloud, but I hope for now, that this at least conveys those of my feelings that you wish to hear._

 _Noll_

Mai read the letter through twice before believing the words were real. This was far more than anything she had ever expected from Noll.

She felt a slight twinge of guilt that he had stayed up so late trying to figure out his feelings, but at the same time… They were together now. Not that that would really change anything.

Mai couldn't help but beam. Oliver Davis had asked her out.

But a buzzing sound brought her out of her revelry.

 **My parents found out 15 minutes ago and my father attempted to give me a talk about sex and my mother is digging out childhood photos.**

Mai giggled, she couldn't help herself. She greatly wished she'd been there to see it.

 **That is one advantage of being an orphan, I suppose! From Mai.**

 **Are you free tomorrow?**

 **Well I had a long day of lounging around doing nothing planned, but I could be persuaded to change my itinerary. From Mai.**

She had to wait a few minutes for a reply.

 **Good, because the war isn't over.**

* * *

 **Author's note: Well you weren't going to get a chapter today and then I started writing at like 10pm and its now almost midnight so apologies for every error in this chapter! I'm going to go to bed, so I hope to wake up to lots of lovely reviews :)**


	14. Chapter 14

The following morning was the first day of the Easter Holidays. As a result of this, Noll took the liberty of a lie in. He'd always been a night owl, in comparison with Gene who was an early bird.

He woke around 10am and read leisurely for another hour or so. Once he'd finished the biography of Alan Turing and deemed that a long enough period of time had passed for his mother's notion of grounding him to subside, he rose and readied himself for the day.

"And where do you think you are going young man?" his mother's voice said from the hallway as he made his way to the front door.

"Out."

"I don't think so, you're grounded young man." Luella stood with her arms folded across her chest.

"I was going to see Mai," Noll said. Surely that would get him out?

"That's nice," Luella said cheerfully. "But you're grounded."

Noll's brow furrowed slightly and he realised dimly that his mother had concocted some sort of plan.

"What-" Noll began, but his mother interrupted him.

"Why don't you invite her round here?" Luella suggested with a knowing smile.

"Fine," Noll said. Two could play at this game. "May I go and pick her up?" And not return for a while, he added mentally.

"Of course, take your brother and pick up Masako too." Luella beamed at him.

"Fine."

Noll searched for his brother and found him playing Far Cry 3.

"Haven't you finished that?" he asked. Gene did not look around.

"Yeah, but there are a few side missions I missed so…"

"I have to take you to retrieve Mai and Masako," Noll stated. Gene paused his game and saved his progress.

"Awesome," Gene said as he grabbed his crutches and hobbled towards the door. Noll smirked slightly at his brother's predicament. "Stop laughing."

"I wasn't," Noll said as they began their way to the car.

"If you laughed, you would be."

"Most likely," Noll said, knowing it to be true. "It makes the torture I suffered on Saturday almost worth it."

"Torture?" Gene questioned disbelievingly. "You got to kiss Mai, how is that torture?"

"I had to sing on stage."

"We have the same voice, I don't see the issue," Gene said, rolling his eyes.

"And as Mai rightfully pointed out, you have had voice coaching."

"Yeah," Gene agreed as he climbed into the passenger seat. "I was thinking about that, I don't know if I should be offended that no one noticed the difference."

Noll snorted slightly as he started the car.

"You just said we have the same voice, so what's the issue?" Noll asked, knowing this would rile his brother.

"Are you going to prom with Mai?" Gene countered quickly.

"No," Noll stated as they trundled down the country roads.

"Why not?"

"For reasons I have previously specified."

"It would make her happy."

"My company makes her happy," Noll said. "I don't see why I have to dress smartly and put up with other's raucous behaviour."

"Because she will want an excuse to wear a pretty dress and dance," Gene explained patiently. "It's supposed to be romantic."

"If Mai wanted romantic she wouldn't have agreed to date me."

They did not speak until they arrived at Masako's house, where Noll agreed to go and knock on the front door so Gene would not have to hobble about on his crutches.

"Congratulations," Masako said as she walked with Noll back to the car.

"For what?"

"Finally asking Mai out."

Noll did not deign to respond.

As he started the car and began driving to Mai's apartment, Masako continued the topic of prom.

"Are you free tomorrow?" she asked Gene.

"Probably," Gene replied. "Why?"

"Mai and I were going to go prom dress shopping," she explained. "Keiko and Michiru went at the weekend so Mai missed out so I agreed to go with her."

"Cool," Gene muttered. "But why do you need me?"

"Well while I don't want us to be matching outfits – that'd be tacky – we need to at least co-ordinate accessories," Masako continued. "What are you doing about a suit? Considering your leg and all?"

"I hadn't given it much thought to be honest," Gene admitted. Noll greatly wished he was not privy to this conversation; it bored him.

"Well we need to sort that out," Masako said bossily.

Noll pulled up outside Mai's apartment and escaped from the car. He headed up and knocked.

"Hey," Mai greeted him a minute later.

"We have to go back to my house," he explained. "My mother has yet to un-ground me and she's using this to get you round so she can attempt to embarrass me."

"Okay," Mai said with a smile. "Gimme two seconds!" She dashed into the depths of her flat and returned a few moments later holding a coat. Noll watched as she slipped on some shoes and then together, hand in hand, they walked back to the car.

"Awwww!" Gene cooed teasingly.

"Shut up!" Mai squealed. "If you weren't injured I'd hit you."

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," Noll advised. "You'll only end up with a sore hand and it won't have any lasting effect on him."

"You're assuming I would be using my hand," Mai retorted with a smirk. "And not being able to reproduce would be some sort of lasting effect, don't you think?"

Noll smirked, Masako giggled and Gene gulped for comic effect. They all knew the threat was empty, but it was amusing nonetheless.

"Are you still up for tomorrow?" Masako asked. Mai nodded fervently.

"Yeah!"

"Gene is joining us, aren't you Gene?" Masako prompted.

"Am I?"

"Yes," Masako told him. Mai laughed and her eyes flashed to the back of Noll's head.

"Right," Gene agreed. "Noll, do you fancy driving us?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I have better things to do."

"Like what?" Gene asked.

"I think a shorter list would be that of things that were worse to do."

Gene scowled.

"Come on Noll!" he begged. "Mai will be there! You like Mai!"

"You know, I am sitting right here," Mai pointed out.

"Shush, I don't want to have to get the bus," he hissed. "Play along."

"I can hear you," Noll said.

"Please!"

"No."

The argument continued until they pulled up at the Davis household.

"We should all have a sleepover," Gene declared as he hobbled from the car to the house.

"Why?" Noll asked in a tired voice.

Masako and Mai trailed behind the arguing twins, both supressing smiles.

"Why not? We could stay up! Watch scary movies! Eat popcorn!" Gene listed suggestions with a grin.

"If you are going to try and sell it to Noll, you have to mention that Mai could bring him tea in the morning," Masako pointed out.

"Yes!" Gene agreed as Noll let them in.

"Hello!" Luella said from the hallway. "How are you both?"

"Fine," Mai and Masako replied in unison.

"Wonderful," Luella said. "Well I'm afraid I'll have to leave it up to the boys to sort you girls out with lunch, but we've got lasagne for tea."

Mai noticed Noll smile slightly out of the corner of her eye.

"Awesome!" Gene said. "Come on Masako!"

They all trouped upstairs and split into separate rooms.

"How are you?" Noll asked when he and Mai were finally alone.

"Fine," Mai replied as she took a seat. "So, are we planning their doom?"

"Yes," Noll said with a smirk. "Do you want to know the best bit?"

"Go on?" Mai prompted with a slight frown.

"Well Gene said that they would only stop the pranks when we were together, so they won't be expecting anything now."

Mai grinned at his words.

But before she could say anything, Gene burst into the room. Or rather, fell through the door accompanied by his crutches.

"I thought you might like these!" he said and threw a handful of little square objects at Noll before departing at speed.

"What are they?" Mai asked.

Noll growled in response. He dropped the objects as he raced after his brother.

Mai watched him go, then picked up one of the little squares and read a single world: condom. She dropped the packet as if it had burned her fingers.

"He's an idiot," Noll said as he returned. He collected up the little packets and shoved them in a draw.

Mai was still sat on his bed, red-faced.

"Yeah," she mumbled nervously.

"I did not ask him to do that," Noll clarified quickly.

"I know," Mai said quickly. "So, um…" Mai daren't look at Noll, she was still too embarrassed.

Noll sighed, then took a seat beside his girlfriend.

"Mai," he said. "I do not want to do those sorts of things with you."

"Oh…"

"Or rather, not yet," he clarified. "I do not believe either of us are ready for it."

"Okay," Mai mumbled. "So why did you…" She trailed off, unable to finish her question.

"Keep them?" Noll guessed. "They can be useful for things other than the obvious."

"Like what?"

"Embarrassing brothers," Noll said. "As Gene just demonstrated."

"I think it was me he was succeeding in embarrassing."

"Yes, well…"

Noll rose from the bed and moved to his desk.

"You said your mother is going to try and embarrass you?" Mai prompted.

"Yes, I'm sure she will show you and Masako photos from mine and Gene's childhood."

"And will you find this embarrassing?" Mai asked, curious.

"No," Noll said. "It makes her happy though." He said this so gently that it made Mai smile. "But Gene will play the fool for dramatic effect I'm sure."

"Yeah," Mai said with a giggle. "Though everyone will be able to tell you apart now…"

"Yes," Noll agreed grudgingly. "Idiot."

"It'll only be for a few weeks," Mai consoled. "You'll just have to suffer like the rest of us."

Noll sighed and looked out of the window at the darkening sky. It was going to rain.

A knock on the door drew both their attention.

"Come in," Noll said. Masako stuck her head around the door.

"We are making pancakes if you want to join us," she said.

"Pancakes? For lunch?" Mai asked.

"Yeah."

"That's ridiculous," Noll said. But he glanced at Mai as he said this and registered her hopeful look. Deep down he knew that all she had to do was-

"Can we?"

"Fine."

Mai grinned and bounded from the bed. Noll sighed yet again and followed her down to the kitchen, where Gene was already rummaging for ingredients.

"Excellent!" he cried as he spotted Mai and Noll. He threw a bag of flour at his brother, who was quick enough to catch it. "Get sifting!"

Noll narrowed his eyes momentarily before starting to sift flour into the jug that already held milk. He did not catch Masako and Gene whispering.

Mai moved around to the hob and added some oil to the frying pan that Gene had set out. She turned on the hob and was about turn back to the others and ask about what they had to put into the pancakes when she felt two small hands clamp onto her chest.

Squealing Mai looked down to see Masako's hands leaving her body leaving two white flour imprints on her breasts.

"Masako!"

Mai spun to see Masako and Gene giggling. Noll looked up at the commotion, spotted Mai's predicament and smirked. Scowling, Mai reached for the bag of flour, scooped some out with her hand and launched it at Noll, who ducked.

But he did not duck quick enough. It hit him straight in the face. Gene practically fell to the floor as he howled with laughter.

Mai and Noll made eye contact, he nodded and she took the rest of the bag of flour and dumped it over Gene, who coughed and spluttered as the white powder filled his mouth, nostrils and eyes.

The four of them looked around the now flour-covered kitchen sheepishly in silence.

"We should clear this up," Masako said quietly. "Before-"

"What on earth has gone on in here?"

Luella was standing in the doorway, horrified. She took in her flour-covered sons and the hand prints on Mai's chest.

"Well," Gene began, still spluttering slightly on the floor.

"I don't want to know, just clear it up." She blinked and left.

And then they were all laughing, even Noll let out a reluctantly chuckle.

"Masako, help me up?" Gene asked. But as he took her hand, he pulled her down on top of him and mushed some of the floor into her hair.

"Hey!" she protested loudly.

"Alright, come on guys," Mai said placating. "Right, is there enough mixture for pancakes?"

"Yes," Noll replied. "It's likely to be a bit thick now, but I can add more milk."

"Okay, you do the pancakes, we'll clear up."

Grumbling, Gene, Masako and Mai began wiping every surface. They finished as Noll began flipping pancakes with expert precision. Gene found some chocolate spread, bananas, sugar, lemon juice and strawberries for toppings.

Soon they were all eating with flour still in their hair and on the faces, but content with their luncheon.

"Do you wanna play games after this?" Gene asked as they washed up.

"Can we change first?" Masako asked.

"I concur," Mai said. "Can I borrow a t-shirt or something?" she asked Noll, who nodded.

"Are you gonna strip in front of him?" Gene teased.

"No!" Mai protested, going red.

"You're such a pervert," Masako muttered.

"Talking of perverted things," Mai said quickly. "Have you seen the magazines he had in his bottom drawer?"

"No?" Masako frowned, oblivious.

"Mai!" Gene squawked. "Noll, didn't you tell her those were Yasuhara's?"

"No one believes that Gene," Noll said.

"But it's true!"

"Really?" Mai raised an eyebrow at him. "Well there is one way we can sort this out."

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialled Yasuhara's number and put the device on speakerphone.

They all listened as it rang, and finally, as Yasuhara answered.

"Mai? Hello?"

"Hey," Mai said. "I need you to clear something up."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Have you ever leant Gene any magazines?"

"Um," he mumbled. "I gave him a copy of New Scientist a while back because it had that article about cancer treatments in it, but otherwise, I don't think I have, why?"

"Because he's claiming you leant him a certain type of magazine," Noll said.

"Who else is there?" Yasuhara asked.

"Just Noll, Masako and Gene," Mai replied. "We're at Noll's house."

"Why are you there?"

"Because she's my girlfriend," Noll said. "Inviting your girlfriend round is customary I believe."

"Mai! You didn't tell me about this!" Yasuhara said, obviously shocked.

"What sort of magazine?" Masako asked.

"Kinky porn mags," Mai said, red cheeked.

"Oh."

"I have never leant him porn mags," Yasuhara's voice said from the speaker.

"You traitor!" Gene objected.

"Why on earth would I lend you porn mags? You can get it free on the internet anyway!" Yasuhara said with a laugh. "Besides, I don't want your cum stains on my pristine copies of Playboy!"

"Ewwww!" Mai squealed. "That's gross!"

"You asked in the first place!"

"I asked if you leant him magazines! Nothing to do with cum stains!"

Noll sighed heavily and rested his head in his hands.

"I was just providing proof that I would never-"

"Yeah, I don't want to know, bye Yasuhara!" Mai spoke over her friend and hung up. "He's gross, why am I friends with him?"

"I have no idea," Noll said. "Come on; let's find you something to change into."

Masako and Gene watched them leave the kitchen.

"So what kind of kinky porn mags?"

"They are Yasuhara's! I swear!" Gene said as he picked up his crutches.

"Sure," Masako said with a reserved look on her face. "Come on, spill."

Gene sighed.

"I'll just show you."

Meanwhile, in Noll's room, Mai was waiting awkwardly as Noll pulled out a t-shirt for her to change into.

"I'll go and wash the flour out of my hair," he said as he stripped his own flour-covered t-shirt and threw it into the laundry bin. Ignoring Mai's embarrassment at his naked torso, he strode confidently away.

Mai slowly pulled off her t-shirt and did her best not to spread flour everywhere. She neatly folded it so that the flour was on the inside of the fold and was just about to pull on Noll's shirt when the young man himself returned. Mai hastily pulled the shirt over her head and somehow got herself caught up so that the shirt was stuck.

"Mai, what are you doing?"

Mai stopped struggling against the t-shirt and tried to ignore the fact that she knew Noll could see her bra.

"Putting a t-shirt on," she replied in an attempt to sound nonchalant. She heard him exhale pointedly.

"Put your arms up," he ordered. "You have one arm going through the wrong way."

Reluctantly Mai lifted her arms and allowed Noll to pull the t-shirt from her body. As he straightened it out, Noll noticed Mai struggling to cover as much of her body as she could manage with her arms. He frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of your body."

"I'm not," Mai objected weakly. Noll handed her the t-shirt and this time, she managed to put it on correctly.

"Mai, you're…" He turned to find himself a fresh shirt. "You're fine the way you are."

Mai smiled slightly at his words.

Once both dressed, they joined Masako – who was blushing slightly, though Mai and Noll had no idea why – and Gene, who was setting up the console.

They began to play, squished up on the beanbags until Luella interrupted them.

"Well I'm glad you got that flour off!" she said. "I just wanted you all to know that we're having friends round for dinner."

"Who?" Gene asked.

"Madoka and Lin of course!" Luella said cheerfully and Mai heard Noll groan slightly.

Luella left and Mai turned to face Noll.

"What's wrong? Did she mean Mr Lin? The teacher?"

"Yes," Gene answered on his brother's behalf. "And Madoka is better known to you as Miss Mori."

Mai's mouth fell open.

"You two are screwed."

* * *

 **Author's note: Super long chapter - at least it felt like it - because I am going to Portugal this weekend! So won't be able to write!**

 **Please review :)**


	15. Chapter 15

"You mean to tell me," Madoka began. "That you did not perform on Saturday night?"

She was sat at the dining room table, completely agape, opposite from a grinning Gene.

"Nope," he replied cheerfully.

"And that it was all Noll?" she added in astonishment.

"Yup."

"But he's never practiced it!"

"He went to one rehearsal."

"But when did he learn the script?"

"Saturday afternoon."

"And you-" She turned to Masako. "-weren't there because you were with him? You weren't ill?"

"Yes," Masako said.

"But why couldn't you have performed?"

"Noll wouldn't have done it if Mai wasn't the lead female," Gene cut in.

"Why?"

"Because we're dating," Noll said in a bored voice. Mai blushed.

Madoka rested her head in her hands.

"How could you all do this to me? It all could've gone so wrong!" she cried dramatically. "And you!" She turned suddenly to Noll. "Since when could your face even show emotion?! You've deceived me all this time!"

Noll ignored her as his mother began serving the food.

"We're really sorry Miss Mori!" Mai said quickly. "But everything turned out okay, didn't it?"

"Well yes," Madoka admitted. "I just can't even…"

"Think of it this way Madoka," Gene began with a smirk. "Now you have two handsome young men that can act, think what you can do with twins for the next production."

Noll's head spun around to glare at his brother so fast that Mai heard his neck crick.

"No."

"Yes!" Madoka cried. "I'm going to have to start looking at scripts…" she trailed off, mentally browsing a list of potential play names.

"Gene, you are too cruel," Mai said, though she couldn't help but grin a little.

"That's what big brothers are for!"

Noll turned to Lin and struck up a conversation about something to do with computers that Mai had no clue about.

"Mai, I wanted to thank you again for helping babysit on Friday," Madoka said as they all began to eat. "Annie hasn't shut up about it yet."

"No problem Miss Mori," Mai replied with a smile.

"Oh please, call me Madoka, we're not at school!"

Mai nodded, but knew she would continue to stick to 'Miss Mori'.

"Now I believe you four have plans to go shopping tomorrow, is that right?" Martin asked the teenagers.

"Well Mai, Masako and I plan to, Noll is yet to decide," Gene said.

"I'm not going."

"Whyever not Noll?" Luella asked.

"I don't want to."

"But Mai will be there," Luella pointed out.

"Mai is her own person and perfectly capable of doing things alone."

"But-" his mother began to protest.

"I do plenty of things I would imagine Mai would find extremely dull, and vice versa. Just because we are dating does not mean we have to do everything together."

"But-" Luella began again.

"Honestly, I don't mind!" Mai said quickly.

"Well, alright." But she did not look satisfied.

After they had all finished their lasagne, Luella ordered for the young people – excluding Gene – to take the dirty plates to the kitchen and to clear the table. Meanwhile, the adults – and Gene – retreated to the living room.

When Noll, Masako and Mai joined them, Luella was passing around photos.

"And this was the day we adopted them! Look!"

Mai moved behind Madoka, who was holding the photo in question.

"Aww, you two were holding hands!" she exclaimed.

"Noll was scared," Gene explained. Noll didn't say anything.

"Really?" Masako asked disbelievingly. Gene pulled her down onto his lap.

"Yeah," he said.

"I can imagine why," Mai muttered. She watched as her boyfriend joined Lin and Martin on the other side of the room before Luella patted the seat beside her.

"Come on," she said kindly. Mai sat. "This was their first day of school with us!" She passed a photo. "And this was their first nativity play, Gene was a shepherd and Noll wanted nothing to do with it." She produced another photo.

"Quite rightly," Noll's voice interrupted.

"Oh hush you," Luella scolded. "He wanted nothing to do with it, so there he is." She pointed. "He sulked in the corner."

"I am not Christian, why would I partake in such ridiculous things?"

"You know, for someone who doesn't want to look at photos, you are being awfully involved," Luella commented, and then smirked as her son scowled.

The evening passed with chatter and much sharing of stories. But eventually, Madoka and Lin declared they would have to leave.

"Would you two like a lift? Save Noll having to drive?" Madoka asked Mai and Masako.

Mai looked to Noll, who shrugged.

"If you don't mind," she said shyly.

"Of course not! Go and get your things together."

The two young girls said their goodbyes, and were driven home.

* * *

Mai did not expect Noll to knock at her door the following morning.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm driving Gene, and thus you and Masako, to the shopping centre."

"Thank you," Mai said as they left her flat and headed down to the car.

"It wasn't like I had a lot of choice," Noll muttered.

"Still," Mai mumbled.

Noll sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"They woke me early this morning and then neither of them has stopped twittering away."

By 'them' Mai took Noll to mean his mother and Gene. Mai took Noll's hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"I would have thought after Saturday that Gene at least would have left you alone," Mai commented.

"So would I," Noll agreed as they reached the vehicle and climbed in.

"You two took long enough," Gene said from the back seat.

"My fault," Mai said quickly. "I couldn't find my purse."

As Mai took the brunt of the conversation away from Noll, he drove without speaking to the shopping centre.

"I will pick you up at four," he said. His own business would be finished by then.

The trio scrambled out of the car, Mai moved around to the driver's side window and tapped on the edge.

Noll wound down the window.

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I'm sorry about all this," Mai said awkwardly. "I'll ask them to leave you alone." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again for the lift."

Noll watched her dart after his twin and Masako before glancing at the time on his dashboard. He had things to do.

He sighed and started the engine. So many things to do.

* * *

"That looks great!" Gene said as Masako swirled in front of him in a pale pink dress.

"Are you sure?" she questioned. "I think I liked the other one better…"

"That one looked great too," Gene admitted.

"You've said that about every dress so far," Mai called from the changing room.

"Well at least she's managed to put one on to show me!"

"Fine! I'll show you this one!" Mai relied huffily.

She stormed out of the dressing room in a bright blue dress that just about reached her knees.

"You look so adorable!" Masako said as Gene snapped a picture of Mai on his phone.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Sending a picture to Noll."

"Why?"

"To see what he thinks!"

"No!" Mai protested. "Don't!"

"Too late," Gene replied with a wide grin. Mai stormed back into the changing room.

"I don't even like this one anyway!" But she heard Gene's phone vibrate. "What did he say?"

"Colour looks awful, shoulder straps make her look childish and the skirt makes her look shorter than she already is," Gene read out.

"That jerk!" Mai squealed indignantly. "I am not that short!"

"Mai, you are as short as me," Masako pointed out as she returned to her own changing room.

"I am taller than you!" Mai protested loudly.

"Hardly," Gene said.

"I am so!" Mai returned from the changing room in her usual clothes. "Let's try a different shop."

Once Masako had changed they left and headed for yet another shop full of dresses.

Gene hobbled straight for the sofa outside the changing room, where he waited with the girl's bags as they browsed.

"How about this one?" Masako held out a dress for Mai, who glanced at it before continuing to rummage through the racks.

"That's pretty, you should try it on."

Masako draped it over her arm and continued.

Gene pulled out his phone and was about to start a new game of Sudoku when his phone vibrated.

 **If Mai cannot afford her choice, cover her and I will reimburse you.**

Gene smiled to himself.

"Young love," he mumbled.

 **Will do, G.**

Eventually, the two girls traipsed into the changing rooms and came out moments later both dressed.

"Perfect," Gene said, looking at the two young women in front of him.

"Really?" Masako asked sceptically. "You aren't just saying that to get this over with?"

"No," Gene countered. "The pair of you-" He used the momentary distraction to snap another picture of Mai to send to Noll. "-look great!"

"That colour does suit you, Masako," Mai said, ignoring Gene's antics. The dark purple piece did indeed look stunning in contrast to Masako's pale skin.

"Noll likes your dress Mai," Gene said.

"What did he actually say?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Her hands were nervously clutching at the satin folds of the long dark red skirt.

"Noll says 'that'll do'," Gene read out.

"Such a romantic…" Mai muttered. She glanced in the mirror. "But it's strapless…"

"And looks great," Masako said. "You're getting it."

Mai scowled and both girls went to get changed. Masako finished first and joined Gene on the sofa with her chosen dress on her lap.

"No…" they both heard Mai mutter.

"What is it?"

"I can't get this one, it costs too much."

Masako looked at Gene, who nodded at her.

"Alright," Masako said. "Pass it out and I'll put it back while you finish changing.

"Thanks," Mai muttered sadly.

But instead of returning it to the racks, Masako and Gene took it to the checkout and placed it with Masako's dress to be paid for. Gene paid for both dresses, shushing Masako least Mai heard.

When Mai appeared, both Masako and Gene thought she looked like she'd been crying a little, but neither of them said anything.

"Come on," Mai said as she forced a smile onto her face.

"Let's get something to eat," Gene suggested. It was, after all, almost lunchtime. "Here, Mai, could you hold this bag? It's kind of hard while on crutches."

"Sure," she said as she took the bag from him. Then she glanced at Masako, who was also holding a bag from the shop they had just departed from. "What…?" Mai glanced inside. "You didn't…"

"I did," Gene said. "And you two now owe me lunch."

Masako rolled her eyes.

"No, you can't do this!"

"Well I think I just did," Gene said as he began hobbling away in the direction of the shopping centre's food court.

"I fancy sushi," Masako said, following after her boyfriend. Mai stood dumbfounded before racing after her two friends.

They had just arrived at Unami, a Japanese restaurant, when Gene's phone began buzzing. He fished it out of his pocket and answered it with a grin.

"Hello Noll, what do you want?"

Mai and Masako could not hear Noll's answer.

"Yeah, we were about to get something to eat," Gene said. He paused to listen. "Unami." He paused again. "See you in a bit."

"What was that?" Masako asked.

"Noll is joining us, soon as we're all finished. Then we can head home early."

Mai couldn't help but smile. She was still furious and grateful and irritated and happy about what Gene had done, but at least if Noll was here… Well, it would just be better.

They had no sooner found a table when Noll joined them.

"I trust it went well?"

"They only made me cry once," Mai said quickly.

"What?" Noll asked with a frown.

"She couldn't afford the dress she wanted, so she cried," Masako explained.

"So I bought it for her," Gene added.

"Good," Noll said.

At that moment, a waitress appeared and took their orders. The conversation moved onto their plans for the rest of the holidays.

"I really ought to do some revision," Masako complained. "Do you want to come round and go over our English stuff?" she asked Mai.

"Yeah, probably should."

"But revision is dull," Gene whined.

"But necessary," Noll said.

"You're all killjoys," he muttered darkly.

Mai and Masako laughed softly.

* * *

Later that evening, Noll was reading in his bedroom. A knock on his door made him look up.

"Come in."

It was Gene.

"You alright?"

"Of course," Noll replied. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing," Gene said. "Least I can do after the fiasco at the weekend." Noll did not argue. "Are you really not going to take Mai to prom?"

"No," Noll said in a tired voice. "I am not taking Mai to prom."

"Why not?"

"How many times are we going to go through this? I have other plans."

"What other plans?"

"Plans that don't concern you."

Gene narrowed his eyes at his twin. He had the awful feeling that Noll was up to something.

* * *

 **Author's note: So I had a fabulous time in Portugal, Lisbon is lovely and I would recommend it if it hadn't been so darn hot!**

 **So it feel's like forever since I last updated! I hope this satisfies you all :) Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

Mai spent the next three days revising – or in some cases actually learning – material needed for her GCSE exams.

She met up with Masako or Keiko and Michiru a few times, but by Friday she had had enough.

Luckily, she was not the only one. Noll appeared at her door at around six pm on Friday.

"Hey," Mai said, moving aside to let him in.

"I'm not staying long," he said quickly.

"Oh." Mai's smile faltered.

"Get your things together," he ordered.

"Huh?"

"Gene has decided to invite Masako for a sleepover. But Masako's parents don't like the idea of it being just them alone, so not it's a 'group sleepover'," he explained.

"So we're babysitting them?"

"I guess," Noll replied with a shrug. "So get your stuff together, I have to pick Masako up in-" He checked his phone. "-about half an hour and I have orders to pick up several items from the supermarket before that."

Mai jumped into action.

"Do I need a sleeping bag?"

"No, we have enough spare duvets."

Mai disappeared to her bedroom and returned three minutes later with her bag packed. She pushed some shoes onto her feet and grinned up at Noll, who let a small smile grace his lips.

He drove them to the supermarket and handed Mai the list as he picked up a basket.

"Cookies, Oreos, icecream – preferably Ben and Jerry's…" she read off. "Sounds like with stocking up a sweet store."

"Gene has a sweet tooth," Noll commented.

"I hadn't noticed," Mai replied weakly. "Is there anything here you like?"

"Not really," Noll said, though he didn't seem all that bothered.

"Aren't we going to watch films and stuff? Don't you want a snack too?"

"We could pick up popcorn," he suggested.

"As long as it's butter popcorn," Mai said.

"Of course, but we'll get toffee for Gene."

They bought their supply of snacks and headed for Masako's house, where Mai went up to the door to collect her. This relieved Masako's parents fears immediately.

Once they were trundling down the roads to Noll and Gene's house, Mai raised the issue she'd been wondering about.

"So what exactly does Gene have in store for us this evening?"

She had expected Masako to respond, bt Noll spoke first.

"Earlier he was finding all of the horror movies we own."

"Oh!" Mai exclaimed in interest. "What do you have?"

"He mentioned Silent Hill, The Grudge and a few slasher films to me earlier," Masako said.

"That is just the brink of his collection."

"I hope you've got something I haven't seen," Mai said in earnest.

"You like horror films?" Noll enquired.

"I love them!" Mai said. "But they have to be actually scary."

"If it doesn't give you nightmares, it isn't worth seeing," Masako remarked.

"Exactly," Mai agreed with a grin. "Though now you mention it, I haven't actually seen Silent Hill."

When they arrived, Noll led them to the living room to find Gene crawling around setting up a series of makeshift beds.

"Hey!" he greeted them all enthusiastically. "I see you brought snacks!"

"I'll put the ice cream in the freezer," Noll said. "What is being done for dinner?"

"Mum said spag bol," Gene replied. "But everyone has to jammify first!"

"Jammify?" Noll asked incredulously.

"Put your jammies on?" Gene elaborated. "Pyjamas," he deadpanned.

"Right."

"You two can use my room to change if you like," Gene offered. Mai and Masako followed Noll upstairs and then split off into separate rooms.

"Thank you so much for coming," Masako said as they changed.

"Really? I wanted to come! I was sick of bloody revision!"

"Me too! I swear Miss Mori hasn't covered half the stuff we need for the exam," Masako complained.

"I know right! Like she's been great on the practical prep, but for the written exam…"

"Like I have no idea how to write the essays!"

They continued to whine about the hardships of GCSE drama as they returned to the living room. But they had no sooner stepped through the doors than Luella appeared behind them, asking about dinner.

"The food is ready, so do you want to eat in here? Or at the table?"

"The table," Noll said from behind his mother.

"Table it is then," she said happily. "Look at you Noll, having a sleepover with girls and everything."

"Yes mother," Noll said. He grabbed Mai's hand and led her to the table and they were joined by Masako and a hobbling Gene a moment later.

"You chose the table just to spite me huh?" Gene muttered darkly.

"No, I just didn't want to sleep in a bed covered in spaghetti bolognaise."

"Well then you shouldn't spill your food," Gene retorted.

"I wasn't worried about me…" Noll said dryly.

Once they had eaten, the quartet returned to the lounge and they started to argue over the films. Noll honestly could not care less which film they watched, but Mai was protesting against the mindless gore.

"Saw is not mindless gore!" Gene retorted. "It has a deeper meaning behind it, the intricate traps are just a bonus!"

"It's a poorly veiled excuse for gore," Mai scoffed. "Don't you agree Masako?"

"Well…" Masako began, but fell silent at the look on Gene's face.

"How about we watch Silent Hill?" Noll suggested. "Mai hasn't seen that one."

"You haven't?" Gene asked, diverted.

"Nope," Mai admitted.

"You have to see it! Maybe you and Masako could dress up as the creepy nurses for halloween," Gene suggested with a wistful smile. "But then again, they don't wear thigh high socks and we all know how much that'd disappoint someone…"

Mai went scarlet, but Noll looked unaffected.

"Put the disk in," he ordered as he stood up. "I'm getting tea."

"I'll come too," Mai said quickly.

She rushed after her boyfriend.

"You resemble a tomato," he commented as he flicked the kettle on.

"Cheers," Mai muttered. "I suppose we should wait a bit before starting on the snacks."

"That would be advisable, otherwise Gene will clear us out," Noll said. "And we only just had dinner."

"True," Mai said. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Getting embarrassed."

"Don't be," Noll said as he poured the hot water into a mug. "If you didn't react to that, he'd find something worse to do."

"True," Mai agreed with an awkward smile.

Noll put an arm around Mai's shoulders as he idly stirred his tea with the other hand. Then, as if he realised how much he'd dawdled, he fished the teabag out and withdrew to the lounge. Mai followed, slightly amused and they retook their seats in the pile of blankets.

Gene and Masako were already cuddled up under another duvet and looked the epitome of cute and couple-y. Mai couldn't help but feel a little jealous, though she knew that Noll would never behave like that and that she couldn't expect him too.

Noll was sat against the edge of the sofa, nursing his cup of tea and waiting with a slightly bored expression on his face.

"Ready?" Gene asked and Mai nodded. He hit play and they began to watch the film.

Noll, as if sensing Mai's thoughts, took hold of her hand within five minutes of the film starting. She beamed at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the screen.

But as the film was nearing it's climax, a mere hand was not sufficient for Mai. She was already hiding behind under a blanket with it clutched up to her face so only her eyes were peeking out.

Sighing slightly, as Noll felt no tremor of fear for this film, he pulled Mai closer and placed his arms protectively around her body. She did not question this for a moment and as soon cutting of the blood supply to one of his arms with her vice-like grip.

"There's a second one if you want?" Gene asked as the credits began to roll.

"Not just yet," Noll interjected. "Mai might wet herself."

"I will not!" Mai squealed.

"Hey," Masako began with an evil grin as she addressed Gene. "Aren't you going camping this summer?"

"Yeah," he said, offhandedly. "So?"

"Blair Witch Project!" Mai spurted.

"Alright," Gene agreed with a grin. "But first! Food!" He looked pleadingly at his girlfriend, who took the hint and dragged Mai to the kitchen.

"Hungry Noll?" Mai called as she was leaving.

"Not yet," Noll replied.

"Ice cream it is then!" Mai said happily. She followed Masako to the kitchen and they began routing about for spoons. "So they're going camping?" Mai prompted.

"Yeah," Masako said. "I'm not sure where, but that's their family holiday this year. Gene was talking about persuading his parents to let me go too, which of course would mean you were invited."

"I couldn't," Mai said quickly. "Are we bothering with bowls or…?"

"We'll just eat out of the tubs," Masako said as she opened up the three tubs of Ben and Jerry's.

"Well I bagsy Chocolate Fudge Brownie!" Mai said, grabbing the nearest carton. They made their way back into the lounge and settled down for the next film.

And so the evening passed and before long it was the early hours of the morning. At some point, they all fell asleep, curled up in the nest of blankets.

Mai woke sometime around four am in desperate need of the toilet. She snuck out from under Noll's arm and crept to the toilet.

When she returned, she almost had a heart attack.

Noll was sat bolt upright and staring at her, his eyes reflecting the limited light so that they glowed eerily.

"Where did you go?" he demanded in a almost silent whisper.

"Toilet," Mai replied.

He glared a moment longer, then nodded. Noll held his hand out to pull Mai back down and she took it. She let him envelope her back into the warmth of the blankets. Within a minute, she found herself using his chest as a pillow. In the silence of the house, all she could hear was his heartbeat and the soft sound of Gene's snoring.

"Does he always snore?" she whispered.

"Unfortunately," Noll replied. "It'll be rather irritating this summer."

"Camping?"

"Yes."

"Masako said Gene was trying to persuade your parents to let him take her, is that true?"

"He's mentioned it once or twice, and they aren't opposed to the idea," Noll said. "I was trying to get out of going entirely, but…"

"But?" Mai prompted.

"If Masako goes, you can come, then it might not be so tedious."

"I couldn't impose like that."

"You wouldn't be imposing, you'd be improving the situation."

"Do you not like camping?" Mai asked.

"I'm indifferent," Noll admitted. "I can adapt to it. Do you like camping?"

"I've never been."

"All the more reason for you to accompany me."

Mai fell silent, uncertain what to say.

"We should sleep," she whispered at last.

"Yes," Noll agreed. He kissed her gently on the forehead and closed his eyes.

When Mai woke for the second time, she was still half lying on Noll. He was still asleep and she desperately didn't want to wake him. Gently, she eased herself from his grip and luckily, he did not stir.

"Mai?" a soft voice came from behind her. She spun around to see Masako half-hidden under Gene. Mai imagined they had begun to spoon, but some time during the night, Gene had wriggled around so Masako was half crushed beneath him.

Mai giggled.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Well I can just about breathe, but I can't escape…" she muttered. And to demonstrate, Masako made to get out of the hold Gene had on her. But Gene - without waking - only pulled her tighter into his embrace and mumbled incoherently. "Help?" she asked desperately.

"How?"

"I don't know," Masako said. "But I really need to pee."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures…" Mai muttered. She crawled over to where Gene and Masako were lying. "Tickling or screaming in ears?"

"Tickling?" Masako suggested with hesitation.

"Here goes nothing!" Mai's hands crept out and a millimetre from Gene's body, he shot upwards and away from the two girls, who burst out laughing.

"Who was going to tickle me?" he demanded.

"No one!" Mai said innocently. Masako sat up while she could but the noise had roused Noll.

"Who's making all that noise?"

"Mai!" Gene said quickly.

"What time is it?" Noll asked. Masako, who was on her way to the loo, checked her phone.

"Just before eight am."

"Eugh, go back to sleep," he groaned and turned over to lie on his front with a pillow over his head. Mai and Gene watched him curiously for a moment. Then Noll turned back, spotted Mai and grabbed her arm. He pulled her, none too gently, to lie beside him and proceeded to use her as a pillow while the real pillow went back over his head to block out the light.

"Noll? What are you doing?" Gene asked, confused by this.

"Comfy," Noll replied sleepily.

"I'm not a pillow," Mai complained weakly.

"You kept me up," Noll grumbled. "So shh."

"I did not!" Mai retorted.

"Shall I leave you too alone?"

"Yes," Noll mumbled.

Mai scowled and Gene laughed. But there was nothing Mai could do, Noll had her pinned to the floor and there was no way she was going to be able to push him off.

"What's going on?"

"Help me Masako!" Mai pleaded.

"Shhh!" Noll groaned. Mai had to admit, deep down, that sleepy Noll was utterly adorable.

"What do you think Gene?" Masako asked.

"She almost tickled me… So no helping her!"

"Masako told me too!" Mai squealed.

"Shh!" Noll hissed as he buried his head further under the pillow.

But Masako and a hopping Gene were already retreating to the kitchen.

"I hate you both!"

"Mai, I'm trying to sleep."

"But it's time to get up!"

"No," Noll stated and Mai sighed. It wasn't so bad.

Her stomach rumbled.

"You know they'll take pictures of this?" Mai whispered.

"Don't care."

Her stomach rumbled again.

"Make your stomach shut up," Noll said.

"It needs food," Mai pointed out.

"Go get some then."

Mai attempted to get up, but Noll kept her where she was.

"Noll…?"

"Comfy."

Mai gave up.

* * *

 **Author's note: So I am going to Poland tomorrow and wanted to update at least one of my proper stories before I leave! I'll be able to write in Vienna, and really ought to write for Poor Unfortunate Souls...**

 **If you haven't already, check out the Fluff Week Prompts! I think I am spoiling you with all this fluff and I can't wait for angst week where I shall rip you all to shreds! Yay!**

 **Please review :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Mai and Noll came to an executive decision not to attack Masako or Gene with pranks until after exams, which were rapidly catching up with them. The rest of the Easter holidays and the first lessons back at school were all focused on one thing: revision.

Mai was utterly sick of revision. Especially for utterly useless subjects like English. Seriously, who cared about what Mercutio said in the first act and what it meant? Not Mai, that was for sure.

She was also somewhat annoyed that it cut into her time with Noll and her friends too. Although they were now definitely dating, they weren't 'Facebook official'. Primarily because neither of them wanted to deal with the associated fuss. Mai hadn't even told Michiru and Keiko, which she felt a little guilty about. But as Noll wasn't taking her to prom, she didn't want them yelling at him.

Sporadically they studied together in silence, which often seemed to involve Mai making them both tea. Sometimes Gene and Masako joined them. But even though on these occasions they enjoyed each other's physical company, even Noll was starting to admit he missed conversation.

However, the day before prom Yasuhara cornered Noll in the sixth form common room.

"Hey, can I have a word?"

"Fine," Noll said as he followed him somewhere more private.

"Look, I know about you and Mai," Yasuhara started. Noll did not react. "But this morning she asked me if I'd go with her to prom with her, just so she had someone to go with and wasn't a fifth wheel."

"So?"

"So I can't go with a friend's girl, can I?" Yasuhara shook his head in disbelief.

"She wants you to go, what's the problem?"

"She's your girlfriend, that's the problem," Yasuhara deadpanned.

"So if you make her unhappy, you'll answer to me," Noll stated. "Are we done?"

"No! Why aren't you taking her? Seriously?"

"I have other places to be," Noll replied with a smirk. Yasuhara frowned at him.

"Are you planning something?"

But Noll just walked away.

Yasuhara did not share his suspicions, just in case he was wrong, but found Mai later that day and told her that if she could find no one better, he would go with her. He would be at the event anyway as Head Boy; having Mai on his arm for the evening just ensured he had good company.

* * *

The following evening and Mai was readying herself for prom alone. She had music playing and was dancing as she brushed her hair dressed only in her underwear. Mai had to admit she was looking forward to the evening, even if Noll wasn't coming.

She only applied a little make up. Not because she was against it or anything – she wasn't that kind of snob about it. But because she didn't often wear it and so didn't really know how to do it well.

Mai settled for a little mascara, some sparkly eye shadow, a bit of blusher and a soft coloured lipstick. She figured if she didn't put too much on, it couldn't go too wrong and once done, Mai was happy with the outcome.

She slipped into her dress and was just zipping it up when she heard a knock at the door.

"Coming!" she called out, presumably to Masako who had agreed to get her dad to give them both a lift. Mai hurriedly slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag and a jacket.

She gave herself one final look over in the mirror and ran to the door.

"He-" she started, but fell silent when she saw who was standing there.

"Hi," Noll replied.

"What are you doing here?" Mai stammered.

"The dress suits you," Noll said, ignoring Mai's question.

She squinted at him suspiciously. He was wearing a shirt and chinos and it almost looked as if he had brushed his hair.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated.

"I need you to put this on," he stated and pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a handkerchief.

"Why?"

"Just turn around."

"No," Mai said, frowning up at him. "I am waiting here for Masako and Gene and then going to prom with Yasuhara. Now what are you doing here?"

"Masako and Gene aren't coming to pick you up."

"What? Why not? Masako said they would!"

"I asked them not to."

"What? Why would you do that?" Mai demanded angrily.

"So I can take you elsewhere," Noll said. He refrained from adding 'obviously'.

"But-"

"Mai, I hate the concept of prom. The noise and raucous behaviour is abhorrent to me. But I understand you want it. I cannot take you to prom, but I have come up with a compromise if you are willing."

"A compromise?" Mai asked tentatively.

"If you do not want to come, I will drop you off at the school."

"What is your compromise?"

"A surprise," Noll said, much to Mai's surprise. Perhaps her shock showed on her face because he went on. "Gene's suggestion."

"And you listened?"

"He knows more about these things than I do, listening to an expert would be considered wise."

Mai did not argue.

Her brain was running at a hundred miles an hour. She wanted to go to prom with her friends and to dance and laugh. But she couldn't help but admit she was intensely curious about what Noll had come up with. She honestly didn't believe he had a romantic bone in his body and yet he had tried…

"Okay," she said slowly.

"Okay what?"

"I'll come with you."

Noll did not say anything, but turned Mai around and placed the handkerchief over her eyes and tied it behind her head. He guided her out of the doorway and shut her front door before guiding her down to the car.

"Careful of your head," he muttered as he helped her into the car.

"It'd be a lot easier if I could see," Mai mumbled. She heard him close his door and the car start. "How far are we going?" she asked in an attempt to guess what might be happening.

"Not far," he replied. "But we'll get there in time."

"In time for what?" Mai asked, but Noll did not say anything. They drove in silence for a while before Mai voiced another question. "Why are you doing this? Isn't it cutting into your revision time?"

"I can afford to take the evening off," Noll replied. Mai rolled her eyes, though Noll obviously could not see.

About five minutes later, Mai felt the car pull to a stop. She heard Noll get out and the boot opened. She could hear rustling, though she had no idea what was exactly going on. Then her door opened and she felt Noll guiding her out.

"Can I take this off now?" she asked.

"Yes," he said finally. She ripped the blindfold off and automatically flattened her hair down. She looked around and was slightly surprised where she found herself.

They were on top of a hill.

"Is this the one we kissed on?"

"No, that's over here," Noll pointed. "This had a better space for stopping."

"But why?" Mai enquired with a frown.

"Follow me," he said and took her hand. He led her from the car and around a hedge. There was a picnic blanket set out with food, a small stereo playing soft music and a beautiful view of Mai's home town.

"A picnic?"

"Not just, but you'll see," Noll replied with a smirk. "Hungry?"

Mai nodded and they sat on the blanket. Noll had provided a wide variety of food including cake, cocktail sausages, a small quiche, fruit, baby sandwiches, salmon and avocado maki, spring rolls and a small tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

"Interesting selection."

"My mother took it upon herself to assist and she wanted to ensure there was something you would like," Noll told her. Mai laughed softly at Luella's behaviour.

"That was nice of her."

"Interfering is a more appropriate word."

"And what would you have chosen to bring?" Mai asked as she took the paper plate Noll had offered her and started picking at different bits of food.

"A considerable more concise selection of things," Noll muttered. "Though Gene suggested a chocolate fountain."

"I think he would have gate crashed if you had," Mai said and Noll smiled a little at her words.

"Most likely," he agreed.

"You said we had to get here in time, in time for what?" Mai asked as she chose some of the spring rolls.

"You'll see," he said, smirking again.

"You aren't going to tell me are you?"

"Mai, I am not telling you a number of things. A list of which would take longer than time I have to give you."

Mai paused in an attempt to determine whether this was an insult to her intelligence or not.

"Right," she said finally.

Once they had eaten their fill, Noll stood up and held his hand out to Mai. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"I believe it is customary to dance at prom?" he prompted as he took up the hold. Mai stared at him incredulously. "I refuse to dance in a manner found at a school disco or a club, but I will waltz."

"I don't know how," Mai mumbled.

"Here," he said as he placed her hands in the right places. "Follow my lead. One, two, three. One, two, three…"

Mai followed best she could and after a few minutes of awkwardly stumbling, she began to get the hang of this waltzing thing. She grinned up at Noll, who released a small smile for her.

They danced to the soft music emitted from the stereo until Mai pulled Noll closer. She rested her head on his chest as they rocked side to side.

"I can hear your heartbeat."

"Nice to know it's still going," Noll muttered dryly. Mai rolled her eyes, but smiled to herself.

She felt very peaceful and rela-

BOOM.

Mai flinched and tightened her grip on Noll as she looked around for the sound of the explosion. But she heard Noll chuckle and looked up in order to glare at him.

However as she turned her gaze skyward, she saw the firework.

And then another sore into the sky. And another. And another.

Colours burst across the night sky and Mai stared up in wonder.

"Did you do this?" she asked, not wanting to look away from the beauty above her.

"Perhaps," Noll replied.

Mai did not see the smile on his face, or the softness in his gaze. She felt a slight squeeze from his hand and returned it. He led her back to the picnic blanket and they sat watching the display.

She wasn't sure how long they went on. But when she shivered, Noll supplied a blanket to place around her shoulders. She hugged him tight for warmth and he did not protest.

But like all good things, the fireworks ended.

"How did you do it?"

"Pulled a favour," Noll replied nonchalantly. "And speaking of favours, I have one to ask you."

"Hmm?"

"Come camping this summer."

"I can't Noll! It's your family holiday!" she protested.

"Masako is coming," Noll deadpanned. "Do you really want to leave me outnumbered by them?"

"As if you couldn't take them both on by yourself," Mai scoffed.

"Not the point," Noll replied. "Do you not want to come?"

"Of course I do but-"

"Then you're coming," he said.

"But I've never gone camping! I don't know what to do!"

"Then this will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn," Noll said. "Besides, it's not like you have anything else to do and my mother will only complain to me if you don't."

Mai still felt reluctant.

"But…"

"Mai, you aren't intruding. So stop being awkward."

"But what if I don't like camping?"

"Then I'll take you home," Noll said. "But it'll be an excuse to spend time with me and those two idiots and you'll really make the entire thing less tedious for everyone."

"Okay," Mai agreed slowly and then grinned.

"Wait here," Noll said as he stood up and headed towards the car. He returned a minute later with a flask and two mugs. He handed both to Mai and poured out two cups of tea. He pulled out sachets of sugar and a little pot of milk like those found in restaurants and passed them to Mai, who added them to her tea. "Much better," he said as he took a sip. Mai giggled.

Despite knowing she had several weeks of hellish exams ahead of her, Mai felt overwhelmingly happy.

"Besides," Mai said. "We do have a prank war to win."

"Yes," Noll concurred. "We do."

The End.

* * *

 **Author's note: Well I ended this sooner than I originally planned. But someone rightfully pointed out (thank you) that I was doing a lot of filler chapters and that I was dragging it out, so I decided to end it here. Before any of you even think the word 'sequel' I would like to do one of the camping trip and have added it to my list of things to do! But my writing time has been seriously cut down now I'm in Japan (OMG).**

 **And talking of things OMG GUESS WHO OWNS GHOST HUNT MANGA IN JAPANESE - YEAH ME WOOOOOOO.**

 **Not excited by that at all...**

 **I fangirled so much in the bookshop today...**

 **Please check out the forum for Humour Week! And share the news if any of you update! I hope you all rise to the challenge of writing humour - which I am finding seriously hard! I literally cannot do it on purpose...**

 **Anyway, please review :)**


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